Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will not use lethal weapons to maintain law and order during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, Dhaka Sector Commander Colonel SM Abul Ehsan has said.
He made the remarks at a press conference held at a temporary base camp at the Mirpur National Swimming Complex at 11:30am on Saturday.
Colonel Abul Ehsan said BGB has taken extensive nationwide preparations ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and referendum to ensure overall security. The objective is to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise in a safe and uninterrupted environment.
He said that while keeping the country’s entire 4,427-kilometre border fully secured, more than 37,000 BGB members will be deployed across the country. BGB will perform election duties in 489 of the country’s 495 upazilas, while it will independently carry out election responsibilities in 61 border upazilas.
Considering security risks, BGB will be deployed as both mobile and static forces in all 300 parliamentary constituencies. Depending on the upazila, two to four platoons of BGB personnel will be deployed.
He further said that BGB’s Rapid Action Team (RAT) and Quick Response Force (QRF), supported by helicopters, will remain on standby to respond swiftly to any emergency situation during the election. In addition, specialised K-9 dog squad units will also be deployed to further strengthen security measures.
Responding to journalists’ questions about whether BGB sees any security threats ahead of the election despite conducting drills, Colonel Abul Ehsan said no such concerns have been identified so far.
He added that under directives from the BGB director general, the force will not use any lethal weapons to maintain law and order during the election.
Replying to another question regarding the availability of a hotline, he said the mobile numbers of BGB base camps have been provided to returning officers. In the event of any deterioration in law and order, they can directly contact BGB.
He also said incidents can be reported through the Election Commission’s security app.
