Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin is holding a meeting with the chiefs of the three armed forces to review the overall law and order situation ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary election and the referendum.

The meeting will take place at 12:00 noon on Sunday at the Election Building in Agargaon. Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hasan and Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan of the Air Force are scheduled to attend.

Later in the afternoon, at 2:30 pm, another high-level meeting on law and order will be held at the Election Building conference room, chaired by the CEC. The four Election Commissioners and the EC Secretary are expected to be present.

The agenda includes a review of the pre-election law and order situation, recovery of illegal arms, joint forces’ operations to curb terrorist activities, and ensuring a conducive electoral environment in line with the code of conduct. Other related issues will also be discussed.

EC Public Relations Director Ruhul Amin Mallik said on Saturday that following the meetings, senior law enforcement officials will brief the media at the basement hallroom of the Election Commission Secretariat. The briefing will cover the law and order situation, recovery of illegal arms and joint forces’ activities.

According to EC officials, the meetings will place particular emphasis on the country’s current security arrangements and maintaining peace and order ahead of the polls. Invitations have been sent to the Home Secretary, top armed forces officials, and the chiefs or representatives of various law enforcement agencies.

Letters have also been issued to the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force; the Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser; the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division; the Inspector General of Police (IGP); and the heads of NSI, DGFI, Coast Guard, BGB, RAB, Ansar and VDP, along with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

To ensure security surrounding the election and referendum, law enforcement agencies will be deployed for a total of five days—starting two days before polling and continuing until the day after the vote. Accordingly, forces will remain in the field from February 9 to February 13.

Earlier, the Election Commission held two rounds of meetings with senior law enforcement officials before the election schedule was announced and another meeting afterward. On Thursday, it issued a ‘Special Law and Order Circular’ outlining security measures.

Ahead of the polls, the Ministry of Home Affairs will determine centre-wise deployment of law enforcement personnel. The plan will specify the number of personnel for general, important, remote and hard-to-reach areas, as well as metropolitan regions.

The directives will also cover the deployment period of mobile and striking forces, executive and judicial magistrates, restrictions on vehicular movement, prohibition on display of licensed firearms, campaign blackout periods, cooperation with observers and operation of monitoring cells.

Briefing of Returning Officers on Wednesday

To ensure smooth conduct of the election, the Election Commission will brief returning officers and field administration officials on Wednesday on election management. Divisional commissioners, police commissioners, deputy inspectors general (DIGs), deputy commissioners (DCs), superintendents of police (SPs) and regional election officers have been asked to attend the meeting at the Election Building.

The meeting will be attended by the CEC, the four Election Commissioners and the EC Secretary, alongside the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser, the Home Secretary, the Public Administration Secretary and the IGP.

Revision to Appeal and Disposal Schedule

While keeping the dates for nomination submission, scrutiny, withdrawal and polling unchanged, the Election Commission has revised the schedule for filing appeals and their disposal.

Under the amended notification, the period for filing appeals against returning officers’ decisions has been shortened by two days and fixed from January 5 to January 9. The appeal disposal period has also been advanced by two days and rescheduled from January 10 to January 18.

The revised gazette was issued on December 18, signed by EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.