Bangladesh: 1,400 polling stations in Dhaka marked high risk ahead of polls | World News

Around 1,400 polling stations in 13 constituencies of Dhaka have been identified as high risk for the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election and referendum, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and Returning Officer Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury shared this information at a media briefing on election preparations on Wednesday.

According to the report, additional law enforcement officers will be assigned to ensure security in the designated centers. The Election Commission has implemented special measures for these polling stations, including increased security.

Sharf Uddin said that all necessary preparations for the election and referendum have been completed by the Dhaka District Commissioner Office. “All voting materials will reach polling stations through presiding officers by this evening,” he said.
He added that authorities have not detected any specific security threats so far. “We are not under any pressure. A total of 52 complaints of violations of the code of conduct were received and all were addressed,” he said.

To maintain order on election day, 80 executive judges and two judicial judges will conduct mobile court operations across Dhaka. The report stated that adequate numbers of police, Rapid Response Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and army personnel will be ready to respond immediately to any adverse situation.

Sharf Uddin added that nearly 90 percent of polling stations in Dhaka are under CCTV surveillance. Additionally, two Ansar members equipped with body-worn cameras will be deployed at each polling station to transmit real-time footage.

Voting in Bangladesh is planned to be held tomorrow (February 12). The results are expected to be announced on Friday, February 13.
After an intense 20-day official campaign period that ended on February 10, authorities are now fully in voting mode, with attention focused on managing polling day logistics and security.

More than 12.77 crore eligible voters will elect representatives for 299 of the 300 seats in parliament, with one seat postponed following the death of a candidate.
Along with the parliamentary race, voters will also take part in a simultaneous national referendum on the July National Charter, a key document proposing major constitutional and institutional changes that could shape future governance.

The Election Commission stated that the ballot papers were distributed to the polling stations by taking strict security measures, and that logistical preparations involving thousands of election officials and security personnel were completed.

The European Union Election Observation Mission described the pre-poll atmosphere as “very positive”, while Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs stated that stakeholders in the districts and regions showed a hopeful outlook, according to The Daily Star.

The EU has deployed more than 200 observers, including 60 long-term observers who have been active since early January and 90 short-term observers assigned to monitor voting and counting.

Politically, the contest primarily pits candidates from two major alliances, one led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the other by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Despite the generally positive outlook of officials and observers, concerns about possible post-election unrest remain in some regions.