Akhtar Ahmed, senior secretary of the Election Commission (EC), has stated that between 90,000 and 100,000 army personnel will be deployed for the 13th national parliamentary elections.

A dialogue was held at the Election Commission with representatives of law enforcement agencies on Monday (October 20) morning at the EC office in Agargaon, Dhaka, to discuss measures to ensure a free, participatory, and fair election.

After the meeting, the EC secretary said the environment is conducive for holding the elections. “Around 90,000 to 100,000 troops and 150,000 police personnel will be on duty. In addition, 550,000 Ansar members will also be deployed,” he added.

Regarding recent incidents of arson, he said the matter was not discussed during the meeting. On the issue of looted weapons, he stated that 85 percent have been recovered, and efforts to recover the rest are ongoing.