Diplomats enquired about security, command structure for 12 Feb polls: EC secy
Akhtar Ahmed remarked that expecting the central Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka to personally monitor every street and alleyway for violations would be a "miscarriage of justice"
Highlights:
- Diplomats focused on election security arrangements and command structure.
- 25,000-30,000 police will wear body cams at polling centres for transparency.
- Centre results expected in about 4 hours, but postal ballots will be delayed.
- EC secretary urged use of 300 local inquiry committees for faster complaint resolution.
- Commission maintains a "level playing field" exists for all 2,000 candidates.
- Media and public are the EC's "eyes" on the ground for the 12 February polls.
The Election Commission (EC) today (26 January) revealed that foreign diplomats and international agency heads primarily enquired about the security architecture and the command structure of law enforcement agencies for the upcoming 13th national election and the referendum.
Addressing a press briefing at the Election Bhaban in Agargaon, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed shared insights from a high-level diplomatic briefing held yesterday (25 January) at a hotel in Dhaka.
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The closed-door session was attended by 41 representatives, including ambassadors, heads of missions, and officials from the United Nations and the Chief Adviser's Office.
Secretary Akhtar Ahmed noted that while the EC provided a comprehensive overview of its preparations, the diplomatic community mostly enquired about the logistics of safety and the timeline for declaring results.
He informed the diplomats that a coordinated security framework involving the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, RAB, and Ansar would be in place.
To further ensure transparency at the grassroots level, the EC secretary highlighted that of those police personnel, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 would be equipped with body-worn cameras to monitor proceedings at polling stations.
Addressing concerns over the speed of the results, he explained that while results from the 43,000 polling centres are expected to be announced within three to four hours after voting concludes, the counting of postal ballots will likely cause a delay.
He pointed out that the technical requirements for processing ballots from expatriate voters are more complex this year.
These A4-sized ballots, printed on both sides, require scanning to verify electoral symbols, a process that is significantly more time-consuming than traditional manual counting.
Using the Feni-3 constituency as an example, where over 16,000 postal ballots are expected at a single centre, the EC secretary implied that patience would be required in such cases.
On the subject of a "level playing field," a term frequently debated since the official electoral campaign began on 22 January, Secretary Ahmed maintained that the environment remains conducive for all 2,000 contesting candidates.
He argued that the very existence of complaints being lodged and addressed is evidence of an active and accessible electoral system.
However, he expressed some frustration over the visibility of enforcement actions, noting that while the EC has been taking steps against code of conduct violations – such as the illegal display of posters in Dhaka-11 and Dhaka-13 – these actions are often not immediate or visible to the public eye.
He issued a strong advisory to candidates and citizens to utilise the 300 Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committees established across the country.
He remarked that expecting the central Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka to personally monitor every street and alleyway for violations would be a "miscarriage of justice".
Instead, he urged stakeholders to file complaints directly with local returning officers and executive magistrates, ensuring that the EC is kept in the loop via copies for follow-up.
As the nation approaches the 12 February polls, which will simultaneously feature the 13th parliamentary election and a referendum on the July Charter, the Election Commission underscored its reliance on the media and the public to act as its "eyes" on the ground.
