Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) said that the government is fully prepared to hold free, fair and impartial elections.
He said this when a delegation from the Commonwealth Electoral Support Section (ESS) came to meet the advisor at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday (October 27, 2025) afternoon.
The two-member delegation was led by Commonwealth ESS Legal Adviser Nancy Kanyago. Commonwealth ESS Executive Officer Madonna Lynch was also present. Senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs were present at the time.
Welcoming the Commonwealth delegation, the Adviser said that the current interim government is election-oriented and fully prepared for it. Adequate law enforcement forces will be deployed to control the law and order situation during the elections. About eight lakh members of the law enforcement agencies will be responsible for this. In addition, about 80 thousand members of the armed forces will perform election duties. He said that election drills and training have been arranged for all members of the law enforcement agencies. Special operations are being conducted to recover illegal weapons and ammunition.
The Home Affairs Adviser said that “election control rooms” will be set up at the police headquarters and in each district for smooth and timely communication with each election center. CCTV cameras (if possible) and body-worn cameras for the police on duty and the required number of law enforcement officers will be deployed at each election center. He said that the media will be able to freely gather news during the elections. A sufficient number of election observation teams will be allowed to observe the elections. Moreover, mobile teams and striking forces will be deployed to maintain peace and order in the election areas.
Stating that Bangladesh has a special relationship with the Commonwealth, Commonwealth Representative Nancy Kanyago said, Bangladesh became a member of the Commonwealth soon after independence. She said, the Commonwealth has an election observation group. If Bangladesh invites, the Commonwealth election observation group will observe the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Adviser said, our law enforcement agencies have long experience in conducting elections. Especially, our law enforcement agencies working in the UN peacekeeping missions have performed election duties in various countries. She said, in conducting elections, the Commonwealth needs more financial assistance than law enforcement assistance. If the Commonwealth wants, it can provide us with CCTV, body-worn cameras and election-related equipment. The Commonwealth representative said at the time that they can assist police members in training on human rights.
When asked about new appointments in the law enforcement agencies on the occasion of the Nancy Kanyago election, the advisor said that 10,264 police officers, 2,145 Ansar and VDP officers, 5,513 BGB officers, and 634 Coast Guard officers have been newly appointed to perform their duties during the election.
When the Commonwealth representative asked about the demand for the formation of a special tribunal by the families of the July martyrs to try those involved in the July massacre, the advisor said that the Ministry of Law can form a special tribunal in this regard if it wants. However, two international crimes tribunals are continuing their activities to ensure justice for the July massacre. The advisor expressed hope that the people would come to the polling stations freely, fearlessly, and spontaneously to vote in the upcoming national elections.
