The Election Commission (EC) has expressed serious concern over criminals currently freed on bail ahead of the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election, warning that the threat of covert or targeted attacks cannot be ruled out.

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah disclosed the concerns on Sunday (December 14) following a high-level meeting with law enforcement and security agencies at the EC building.

“We held discussions with representatives of all law enforcement agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, to review the situation since the announcement of the election schedule and to determine our future strategy,” Sanaullah said. “Recent incidents—particularly the attack on Sharif Osman Hadi—have deeply concerned us.”

Without going into details due to ongoing investigations, he said the meeting examined internal findings related to the attack that have direct implications for the election process and the Commission’s responsibilities.

Referring to the Hadi shooting case, Sanaullah said several alarming issues emerged. “The primary suspect had gradually built close personal ties with the victim. He also has a political background and a criminal record,” he noted. “During discussions, it became clear that a significant number of previously arrested criminals are now out on bail and active in society. This is a matter of grave concern.”

The EC also discussed whether such covert attacks are isolated incidents or part of a larger, coordinated plan aimed at disrupting the election. “We examined whether there were any gaps at the planning or execution stages of these attacks and whether security agencies had scope to intervene earlier,” he added.

Sanaullah said the core objective of the meeting was to prevent a recurrence of such attacks and ensure that any attempts to sabotage the election are dealt with firmly.

“A unified message came from all agencies: any attempt to derail, obstruct or damage the election process will fail,” he said. “The election will be held on time. We are satisfied with the measures taken so far, though we also identified areas where further action is needed.”

Among the EC’s recommendations were increasing checkpoints to create deterrence, arresting known criminals roaming freely, recovering illegal and missing weapons, and strengthening intelligence coordination among all agencies.

He confirmed that the second phase of the joint security operation ‘Rebel Hunt’ has already begun and will continue in a coordinated manner. Special attention is also being given to border areas, the southeastern region, and Rohingya-populated zones to assess whether recent trends there are linked to broader security threats.

Sanaullah urged political actors and candidates to remain vigilant, warning that attackers may infiltrate under the guise of allies. “This incident has opened our eyes. Saboteurs may appear as close associates. Even if action is taken later, the damage may already be done,” he said.

He also cautioned against political blame games that could allow criminals to exploit divisions, and highlighted the role of misinformation on social media in inciting violence or aiding suspects to evade arrest.

In response to questions, he clarified that no discussion had taken place regarding issuing arms licences to candidates, and that existing cyber security mechanisms are actively monitoring election-related disinformation.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, was attended by all election commissioners and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Police, BGB, Ansar and VDP, and Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

“The objective of these attacks is to create fear,” Sanaullah concluded. “That objective will not be allowed to succeed.”