Election Commission (EC) on Monday (October 20) is holding a law-and-order meeting with the armed forces and all security agencies to set operational steps for the 13th parliamentary election. 

The session began around 10:30am at Nirbachon Bhaban in Dhaka with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. 

Senior representatives of the army, navy and air force joined the talks, alongside the inspector general of police and other force chiefs. Election commissioners and top EC officials were also in attendance. 

Officials said the discussion reviewed key challenges and the EC’s planned responses. Those include safety of polling staff and stations, keeping calm around polling areas, protecting communal harmony and minority communities, and tightening coordination among law-enforcement bodies. 

The EC also highlighted preventing illegal firearms, supporting security for foreign journalists and pre-election observers, and strategies to curb AI-driven misinformation on social media. 

Other agenda points covered postal voting management, deployment planning for armed forces during the poll period, measures to deter unlawful infiltration, and security for EC offices from regional down to upazila level. 

The commission discussed acting on intelligence assessments to preserve order, ensuring transport of election materials in hilly or remote areas—including helicopter support for polling officials where needed—and prohibiting drone cameras. 

The EC is preparing to hold the vote in the first half of February, with the election schedule expected in the first half of December, in line with recent briefings by the CEC. 

SMS/