Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali said on Monday that the law enforcement agencies are fully prepared to maintain security during the February 12 election and referendum, adding at least no security threat exists. "Strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt the law and order."
He said there is no visible security risk surrounding this year's national election and referendum, adding that the overall law and order situation looks better than ever.
He made the remarks at a press conference at DMP Media Center at Minto Road in the capital; high lighting the security measures. He said adding a total of 2,131 polling stations in the Dhaka Metropolitan areas have been set up.
Based on the location, number of voters, and security considerations, these centers has been categorized into two groups.
At least four police personnel will be deployed at 1,614 important polling stations, while three police members will be assigned to 517 general polling stations, he continued.
"To ensure real-time monitoring, body-worn cameras will be used at polling stations, with live supervision through control rooms," A total of 180 striking teams and 510 mobile teams will remain active outside polling stations, he stated.
Additionally, eight general control rooms and four special control rooms will operate across the eight divisions of DMP, he informed.
Special Reserve Forces will be stationed at strategic locations and can be deployed swiftly under the direct supervision of senior officials if necessary, he also said.
SWAT teams, bomb disposal units, dog squads, crime scene vans, and mounted police will also be on standby to handle emergency situations, he added.
Mentioning that the upcoming election is going to be very important for many reasons, he said adding "We are committed to delivering a meaningful and universally acceptable election, free from the stigma of how police were used in past elections."
With steel-hard morale, police are ready to uphold the sacrifices and bloodshed that have brought the country to the threshold of a peaceful election, he pledged.
He assured citizens that the police would perform their duties with the highest level of professionalism and unquestionable impartiality; setting a standard for future elections.
Urging city residents to participate in the pools, he said, "I request respected city dwellers to go to the polling stations in an orderly manner, without fear or obstruction, and to exercise their civil rights."
The DMP Commissioner also noted that police preparations began even before the election schedule was announced. As part of the efforts, around 25,000 DMP personnel have received special election-related training to enhance their professional capacity.
