1.5 lakh cops to be trained ahead of national election

The government will begin training 1,50,000 police personnel on election-related duties starting in September, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam said on Monday (July 28).

“The Inspector General of Police has confirmed that preparations are underway to train 150,000 officers from September,” he said.

Speaking at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, he said the decision was made during a high-level meeting on election security, chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

In addition to training, the government is planning to establish a National Information Centre to counter disinformation ahead of the election.

“A large amount of disinformation is already circulating, and it’s likely to intensify as the election nears,” Shafiqul Alam said.

The meeting also emphasized strengthening coordination between the army, police, and local administration to ensure order during the election period.

The Chief Adviser has instructed law enforcement agencies to identify potential ‘hotspot’ polling stations and submit situation reports from the district level, the Press Secretary added.

The briefing also revealed that discussions have taken place regarding possible reshuffles in the election-time administration to maintain neutrality and efficiency.