Govt to instruct field officials to act neutrally in polls

Home affairs adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said Sunday that field-level officials will be instructed to act impartially during the upcoming national elections.

Speaking to reporters after a law and order meeting at the Secretariat, he said deputy commissioners, police superintendents, upazila executive officers and officers-in-charge will all be directed to maintain neutrality.

He also said that in view of the upcoming national elections, any person or group creating chaos should be identified and brought under the law to ensure peace and fair voting process in the country. “A clear action plan should be formulated in coordination with all the relevant agencies to ensure that the upcoming national elections are conducted in a free, fair and impartial manner.”

The adviser said that there was also a discussion on providing instructions to ensure that election officials, including law enforcement officers, do not do any illegal work.

“To ensure security in the upcoming national elections, CCTV cameras should be installed in all risky polling stations and effective monitoring measures should be taken. In addition, an adequate number of body-worn cameras should be arranged for law enforcement officers and election officials.”

He said that people who held responsibilities in the 2014, 2018 and 2024 national elections should refrain from giving responsibilities in the upcoming elections as much as possible.

“To strengthen patrols and intelligence surveillance of law enforcement officers so that the law and order situation does not deteriorate in the upcoming national elections. To complete the training of law enforcement officers in the upcoming national elections as soon as possible,” the adviser added.