Bangladesh will deploy 25,000 body-worn cameras and hundreds of surveillance drones to strengthen security during the upcoming 13th national election, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Dhaka on Monday, the home adviser said the election, scheduled for February 12, would see the most extensive use of technology ever introduced for poll-time security in the country. The measures, he said, are aimed at ensuring a free, fair and peaceful voting process.
According to Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, police officers at key polling centres will use body-worn cameras to allow real-time monitoring and enhance accountability on election day. He said closed-circuit television cameras will also be installed at all 42,761 polling stations across the country, with preparatory work already under way.
The home adviser made the comments after the 20th meeting of the Law-and-Order Advisory Council Committee, held at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
He said a total of 418 drones from various law enforcement agencies would be deployed for aerial surveillance during the election. Of these, 200 drones will be operated by the army, 100 by the Border Guard Bangladesh, 50 by the police, 20 by the coast guard, and 16 each by the navy, the Rapid Action Battalion and the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Force.
Highlighting the role of technology, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the combined use of body cameras, drones and a centralised digital platform would significantly improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to respond quickly to any security concerns.
He said the Election Security App–2026, developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center, would be used to coordinate operations. The app will connect law enforcement agencies with returning officers, assistant returning officers and the central control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs, allowing incidents to be reported instantly and responses to be coordinated in real time.
The home adviser also said specialised election-related training for all law enforcement agencies would be completed by January 20, marking the first time such coordinated training has been conducted ahead of a national election.
Additional security measures will include the deployment of dog squads by different forces, while helicopters from the Bangladesh Air Force will be used to transport ballot papers, election materials and officials to remote and hard-to-reach polling centres.
Authorities believe the expanded security arrangements will help ensure transparency, neutrality and public confidence during the national election.
