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Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd) on Wednesday has warned that "strict" action will be taken against members of law enforcement agencies and election officials if incidents such as ballot box snatching, fraudulent voting or other irregularities take place during the national election, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while visiting the Operation Control Room at Police Headquarters and later inspecting the New Market and Mohammadpur police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). According to Deputy Chief Information Officer Faisal Hasan, the adviser reviewed the overall law-and-order situation nationwide and assessed security arrangements for the election at the Police Headquarters. In the presence of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam and other senior officials, he also examined the use of body-worn cameras by police personnel. During his visits to the two police stations, the home adviser directed officers to fulfil their election responsibilities with integrity, professionalism, and dedication. Concluding his tour, he visited the Teachers' Training College centre in the capital, where election materials are being dispatched to different constituencies in Dhaka, the report added. Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will cast his vote at Gulshan Model School and College polling centre in the city on Thursday morning, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Prof Yunus will cast a vote in the 13th Parliamentary Election and the Referendum on the July National Charter, said the Chief Adviser's Press Wing on Wednesday afternoon. Voting is scheduled for tomorrow in Bangladesh (February 12). The results are expected to be confirmed on Friday, February 13. Following an intense 20-day official campaign period that concluded on February 10, authorities have now fully shifted to polling mode, with attention centred on voting-day logistics and security management. Over 12.77 crore eligible voters will elect representatives for 299 of the 300 parliamentary seats, with one seat postponed following a candidate's death. Alongside the parliamentary contest, voters will also participate in a concurrent national referendum on the July National Charter, a key document proposing major constitutional and institutional changes that could shape future governance. The Election Commission said ballot papers are being distributed to polling centres with stringent security measures in place, noting that logistical preparations involving thousands of election officials and security personnel have been completed. The European Union Election Observation Mission described the pre-poll atmosphere as "very positive," with Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs noting that stakeholders across districts and regions expressed a hopeful outlook, according to The Daily Star. The EU has deployed over 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 broadly positive outlook from authorities and observers, concerns persist in some regions regarding potential post-poll unrest. (ANI)
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