Bangladeshi soldiers disembark armored vehicles as they patrol the streets to disperse the anti-quota protesters in Dhaka on July 20, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Dhaka: Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) has announced it will deploy up to 100,000 Bangladesh Army personnel to provide security for the country's general elections slated for early next year.
Akhtar Ahmed, the commission's senior secretary, made the announcement Monday, saying "between 90,000 and 100,000 army personnel will be deployed for the 13th national parliamentary elections."
He said this decision was made during a dialogue held on Monday morning at the EC office in Dhaka.
The meeting, which included representatives from various law enforcement agencies, focused on strategies to ensure the election is free, fair, and participatory.
Following the discussions, the EC secretary said that the current situation is favorable for conducting the polls.
He detailed the extensive security arrangements, which will also include the deployment of approximately 150,000 police officers and an additional 550,000 members of the Ansar, a paramilitary auxiliary force.
Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in August announced to organize the general election in February 2026, before Ramadan, for the first time since a mass uprising toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year.
The month of Ramadan is set to begin on Feb. 17 or Feb. 18 next year.
Bangladeshi economist Yunus took oath as the head of the country's interim government on Aug. 8 last year.
