Admin, police officers involved in last three polls will be excluded from election-time duty, interim government decides

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, has decided to exclude administrative and police officials who were involved in the last three elections from field-level postings during the upcoming February polls, in what officials described as a sweeping bid to ensure neutrality and public trust.

At a high-level meeting chaired by Yunus on Wednesday, the government also approved the deployment of an unprecedented 92,500 members of the armed forces across the country — 90,000 from the army and the remainder from the navy — to bolster security and maintain order before, during and after the vote.

Each upazila will have a dedicated army company, with joint operations centres coordinating between civil administration and law enforcement agencies. The meeting also discussed community involvement in maintaining peace in the 72-hour window before and after the election.

Briefing the press after the meeting, Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, said the decision was driven by a determination to “restore credibility” to the electoral process.

“Instructions have been given to ensure that no one who was involved in the past three elections is appointed to field administration positions,” Alam said. “Whether they served as Returning Officers, Polling Officers or Assistant Returning Officers, if they had even a minimal role in the last three elections, they should not be appointed this time.”

The Election Commission, he said, had already begun implementing a new set of criteria for appointments — assessing candidates’ previous postings, political background, performance record and media scrutiny — to identify the “most fit” officials for deployment in sensitive constituencies.

The Chief Adviser, known for his reformist tone since taking office, reportedly told the meeting:

“We must hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. No one will be posted to their home district. If someone has close relatives or in-laws in a certain area, they will not be posted there.”

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told the meeting that a list of 64 district police superintendents had already been prepared for reassignment. “The Chief Adviser has repeatedly emphasised that the process must remain as neutral as possible,” Alam noted.

In what officials described as an “urgent response to digital manipulation,” the interim government decided to form two national committees — one to coordinate across all administrative tiers, and another dedicated to countering misinformation and AI-generated fake content.

“We’ve seen how AI-generated images and videos circulate rapidly,” Alam said, adding that the Chief Adviser has stressed that fact-checking must happen in the shortest possible time.”

The ICT and Cultural Ministries have been tasked with providing logistical support to remove fake or misleading content “using the full machinery of the state.”

Facebook, he said, remains the main platform for disinformation: “The government plans to engage more deeply with Facebook to convey our concerns directly.”

Quoting Professor Yunus, the Press Secretary said, “There will be propaganda — both domestic and foreign — to derail the election. We must be ready to counter it immediately. The moment misinformation appears, it must be stopped.”

The Chief Adviser called for a “festive and participatory” election and directed the Election Commission and Cultural Ministry to launch a nationwide public awareness campaign through TV spots, documentaries and short films to educate citizens on voting procedures and codes of conduct.

Yunus warned that “powerful forces, inside and outside the country, will try to sabotage the election,” adding that the government must “weather every storm” to deliver a fair vote.

The government will also equip field forces with body-worn cameras to ensure transparency. Ansar personnel, who will play a major role in election security, are receiving intensive new training, with footage to be broadcast on state television.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, is developing a mobile app to enable postal voting for expatriates and three other categories of eligible voters. It also plans to use the former Parliament TV channel to air election-related educational content.

All arrangements, officials said, must be completed by November 15.

Responding to a question on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent Reuters interview, Shafiqul Alam said the CA Office would refrain from any comment until it reviewed the content.

However, he added, “UN reports and independent investigations have documented the scale of killings and rights violations during Hasina’s tenure. No one in this century has committed such horrific acts.”

He accused Hasina’s associates of hiring an expensive UK law firm “using stolen public funds” to lobby on her behalf, calling it “deeply unfortunate.”

Responding to a question, Alam said that law enforcement agencies were on high alert amid what the government sees as attempts to disrupt the election.

“Some people are plotting to sabotage the vote from within the country,” he said. “The fallen autocrat and his allies do not want a free and fair election. They want instability. But the Chief Adviser has made it clear — our goal is to hold one of the best elections in Bangladesh’s history.”

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com