In a bid to maintain strict law and order ahead of the upcoming national elections, joint forces are set to launch a nationwide crackdown.

Election Commissioner Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah made this significant announcement on Sunday (January 4) during a special meeting organized by the Cox’s Bazar District Administration.

He noted that a specific circular regarding the operations is expected to be issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs by the end of the day.

Commissioner Sanaullah mentioned that meetings with the heads of all security forces have already been concluded at the Election Commission, and respective headquarters have been briefed on the operations.

This large-scale military-civilian coordinated effort is being implemented primarily to ensure a seamless electoral environment.

The Election Commissioner outlined three primary objectives for the mission:

• Recovery of Illegal Arms: To seize all illegal weapons across the country and ensure that any unrecovered arms cannot be used for sabotage.
• Apprehension of Terrorists: To swiftly arrest listed and identified criminals and bring them to justice.
• Enforcement of Code of Conduct: To strictly monitor the conduct of competing parties and candidates. The joint forces will directly intervene in cases of major violations of the electoral code of conduct.

Given the sensitive geographical location of Cox’s Bazar, Commissioner Sanaullah issued special directives to law enforcement regarding the Rohingya population. He stated clearly that Rohingya camps must be completely sealed off during the election period.

Furthermore, he emphasized increasing surveillance on land borders and maritime routes to prevent miscreants from crossing illegally to commit crimes. He warned that no compromises would be made in ensuring a fair and peaceful electoral environment.