Service Chiefs to Meet CEC Nasir Over Election Security

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin. Photo: Collected

The chiefs of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force are set to meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Sunday to discuss election-related issues.

The meeting will be held at 12:00pm at Nirbachan Bhaban, said Election Commission (EC) Director (PR) Ruhul Amin Mollik on Saturday.

Due to the meeting, the EC has rescheduled its previously planned law and order meeting from 10:00am to 2:30pm. The afternoon meeting will review the overall law and order situation ahead of the national election and referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026.

CEC Nasir will chair the law and order meeting at the EC conference room in the city.

Senior officials expected to attend include top representatives of the armed forces, the principal secretary, the home affairs secretary, the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division, the inspector general of police, and the heads of Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, Ansar and VDP, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI), National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). Additional IGPs from the Special Branch (SB) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID), along with the inspector general of prisons, will also be present.

The meeting will focus on the pre-election law and order situation, joint force operations to recover illegal arms and prevent terrorist activities, compliance with the electoral code of conduct by candidates and political parties, and measures to ensure an election-friendly environment. Four election commissioners will attend the meeting.

Meanwhile, the EC on Saturday amended the election schedule, revising the timeframe for filing appeals against decisions by returning officers on the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers.

Under the revised schedule, appeals can be filed from January 5 to 9, and will be disposed of between January 10 and 18. Previously, appeals were to be submitted from January 5 to 11 and resolved from January 12 to 18.

Earlier on December 11, the CEC announced the schedule for holding the 13th parliamentary election and a referendum on the July National Charter (Constitutional Reform) Implementation Order simultaneously on February 12, 2026.

According to the schedule, nomination papers must be submitted by December 29, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is January 20, and election campaigns will begin on January 22, continuing until 48 hours before polling starts at 7:30am on February 10.