To ensure a free, fair, and peaceful environment for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, the Election Commission (EC) has deployed 655 Judicial Magistrates across the country.

Their primary mandate is to take immediate judicial cognizance of election-related offenses and conduct summary trials.

The magistrates officially commenced their duties today, Tuesday, February 10, and will remain in the field for five days until February 14.

Under the authority of First-Class Magistrates, they will oversee the two days preceding the vote, the polling day (February 12), and the two days following the election.

A notification signed by Deputy Secretary (Law) Mohammad Didar Hossain confirmed that these appointments were made under Article 89A of ‘The Representation of the People Order, 1972’ (P.O. No. 155 of 1972), following consultations with the Law and Justice Division and the Supreme Court.

Judicial Jurisdiction and Summary Trials
The appointed officers from the Bangladesh Judicial Service are empowered to conduct summary trials under Section 190(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. Their focus will be on specific electoral offenses, including:

• Obstructing voters from casting ballots.
• Forcible occupation of polling centers.
• Inciting disorder or violence.
• Other schedule-based electoral crimes.

Key Directives for Magistrates
The EC Secretariat has issued a set of specific guidelines to ensure the efficiency of these judicial operations:

Deployment: Magistrates must report to their assigned constituencies by the forenoon of Tuesday, February 10, and submit a copy of their joining letter to the Senior Secretary of the EC.

Reporting: Results of any trials conducted (Disposal Statements) must be sent to the EC Secretariat’s Law Branch within 72 hours using the prescribed format.

Logistics: Each magistrate is permitted to bring one Bench Assistant or Stenographer. District Administrators (DCs) have been instructed to provide necessary transport, including Jeeps, microbuses, or speedboats.

Security: Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police (SPs) have been directed to provide "Striking Forces" to ensure the safety of the judges while they discharge their duties.

The 655 magistrates have been assigned specific jurisdictions covering all 300 parliamentary seats, from Panchagarh-1 to Bandarban.

With the campaign period now closed, this judicial deployment marks the final step in the EC's strategy to maintain law and order during the transition to the ballot box.