Special nationwide drive to continue until the election: Home Adviser

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to recovering illegal firearms and strengthening law and order, announcing that the ongoing nationwide special drive will continue until the national election.

"Although we haven’t yet recovered all the missing arms, efforts are underway. The special drive is being conducted across the country and will persist through the election period," he told reporters following a meeting of the Law and Order Core Committee at the Secretariat.

He stressed that incidents of mob violence would be brought down to zero, adding that there would be no tolerance in dealing with such cases. The adviser assured that the election would be held under the supervision of the existing law enforcement agencies and conducted in a peaceful manner.

The meeting, he said, addressed various national security matters, including recent developments and anticipated challenges.

“Drug-related crimes are a major concern. While a number of Yaba smugglers have been detained, the key figures remain elusive. Efforts are underway to bring them to justice,” he noted.

Asked whether there were any specific threats surrounding August 5, he responded, “You can judge better what the situation was like after the Awami League stepped down. Compare that with today and decide whether there’s been any improvement.”

He acknowledged that Bangladesh’s law-and-order standards have not reached global benchmarks but expressed hope that future governments would bridge that gap.

Addressing public anxiety over potential unrest on August 5, he reassured citizens, saying, “There’s no cause for panic. All programmes will take place peacefully, InshaAllah. We only ask for your cooperation in reporting responsibly.”

Regarding election-related violence, he said steps were being taken to enhance training and deployment of security personnel to maintain peace.

Responding to allegations of biased police protection, the adviser clarified that all political parties are provided security based on vulnerability assessments carried out by law enforcement and informed by media reporting.