October 31, 2025
DHAKA – Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday directed authorities to complete key preparations for the national polls by November 15, as the Election Commission plans to announce the election schedule by the first week of December.
At a high-level meeting at the State Guesthouse Jamuna, Yunus also instructed everyone to remain vigilant against “any kind of sudden and powerful attack centring the polls”.
Chaired by Yunus, the meeting was attended by several advisers, top bureaucrats, EC officials, and representatives from law enforcement agencies.
Among those present were Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Defence and National Solidarity Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Hafiz, and Special Assistant on ICT Affairs Fayez Ahmed Taiyeb.
The discussions mainly focused on four issues: the posting of field-level administrative officials, the law and order situation, the training of election-related personnel, and strategies to counter false information on social media.
During a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy afterwards, CA’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the chief adviser cautioned that the upcoming election would face significant challenges.
“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst…. There will be forces, both internal and external, trying to disrupt the election — powerful ones, not minor actors. Sudden attacks may occur. No matter how strong the storm, we must overcome it,” the CA was quoted as saying.
Shafiqul clarified that the term “attack” does not only refer to physical assaults but also includes cyberattacks and the spread of disinformation online.
He said those who supported the fallen autocrat do not want a free and fair election. “Everyone has been urged to remain vigilant.”
Quoting Yunus, he added, “There will be disinformation on social media. Both from within and outside the country, there will be well-coordinated attempts to derail the election. AI-generated photos and videos will be released. We must deal with these swiftly. As soon as a false narrative starts, it must be stopped before it spreads.”
Although the date for the 13th national polls is yet to be fixed, the EC and the government are preparing to hold it in the first half of February.
In a televised address on August 5, Yunus said he would request the EC to hold the election before Ramadan in February. The following day, his office sent a formal directive to the commission to complete all necessary preparations by that time.
COMPLETE KEY TASKS BY NOV 15
At the meeting, Yunus instructed officials to complete certain key tasks — training Ansar members, procuring body cameras, and establishing committees to counter social media misinformation — by November 15, said Shafiqul.
Another instruction was to make training-related videos and materials available on the EC’s website and television channels, including BTV.
He added that since the parliament is not in session and state-run Sangsad Television is currently unused, the EC can plan to use it for election-related publicity.
Yunus further said, “To make the election festive and participatory, we have to reach people with information about the election code of conduct, voting procedures, and what to do if any disorder occurs.”
Asked whether a specific date was discussed, the press secretary told reporters that the EC said it will announce it in the first week of December.
Regarding concerns about possible attempts to disrupt the polls, he said, “There’s no reason to panic. This will be one of the best elections in Bangladesh’s history.”
The chief adviser’s meeting also emphasised coordination among the government, the EC, and various security agencies.
Meanwhile, the ministries of home and public administration have already begun work on the transfer and posting of officials who will perform election duties, taking into account the importance of the area and the competence of the officers.
At the same time, the EC has started training officials who will be assigned election duties.
The officials who served in the last three national elections will not be assigned this time, Shafiqul said. “Even those who played a minimal role in those elections will not be assigned duties.”
He added that during transfers in the local administration, certain factors will be taken into consideration — an officer’s political affiliation, physical fitness, professional competence, and whether any reports of irregularities about them have appeared in the media.
“The most capable officers will be posted in the most sensitive areas. No one will be posted in their home district or that of their in-laws. It will also be ensured that no officer is assigned to an area where their relatives are contesting in the election.”
These postings will begin on November 1, he added.
Shafiqul further said the home adviser informed the meeting that similar measures are being taken regarding the appointment of law enforcers.
“Discussions were also held on completing postings as early as possible so that officials have enough time to prepare and undergo necessary training.”
DEPLOYMENT OF SECURITY FORCES
The press secretary said that during the discussions, officials informed the meeting that nearly 92,500 members of the army and navy will be deployed across Bangladesh during the polls to ensure security alongside other law enforcment agencies.
Of them, 90,000 will be from the Army, with at least one unit stationed in each upazila.
The meeting also discussed how to maintain law and order before and after the election, Shafiqul added.
COUNTERING DISINFORMATION
The press secretary said a major part of the meeting focused on AI, disinformation, and misinformation.
“One of the major concerns raised was how to quickly debunk false information spreading on social media. It was noted that identifying a piece of misinformation and publicly clarifying it often takes time, during which significant damage can occur.
“To address this, the meeting discussed setting up a central disinformation monitoring cell and a central communication cell,” he said, adding that the chief adviser stressed the need for fact-checking at not only urban and district levels but also in rural areas.
“Both cells will operate down to the upazila level and will immediately fact-check any false or misleading information and publish the verified results.”
The ministries of ICT and cultural affairs have been instructed to provide technical support for this initiative. “Discussions will also be held with Facebook authorities on the matter,” Shafiqul added.