Minutes after Nasiruddin Patwary, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s 11-party alliance candidate for Dhaka-8 and a leader of the NCP, entered Shahjahanpur Railway High School polling centre on election morning, supporters of his rival Mirza Abbas arrived. A tense standoff developed. The centre’s gates were shut with the candidate trapped inside. Within 20 minutes, army personnel arrived and took control, escorting Patwary from the centre without clashes or violence.
The armed forces played a key role in keeping polling day free of conflict not only in that particular centre but also across the country. Although the army’s role in the previous three or four elections attracted controversy, experts say its conduct in securing a peaceful and impartial environment for the thirteenth parliamentary election and a simultaneous referendum on February 12 set a new benchmark for professionalism and reshaped its image. Bolstering the military’s public standing further is its contribution to a peaceful vote in this election which many regard as a democratic transition.
Tensions flared in Mohammadpur between supporters of the BNP’s Dhaka-13 candidate Bobby Hajjaj and those of the 11-party alliance’s Maolana Mamunul Haque. The army intervened swiftly to bring the situation under control.
Outside Dhaka, army intervention defused tensions at polling stations in Cumilla, Feni, Kushtia, Sirajganj, Jashore, Bagerhat and Faridpur. In Sylhet, the army acted quickly at centres where confrontations emerged.
Overall, armed forces were seen carrying out security duties across the country with effectiveness and professionalism. Their even-handed treatment of all candidates and success in ensuring an environment free of voter intimidation prompted positive comments from ordinary people, with many observations appearing on social media.
More than 970,000 law enforcement personnel were on duty for the election, according to figures from the home ministry. The deployment included 103,000 army personnel, 5,000 navy, 3,730 air force, 37,453 Border Guard Bangladesh, 3,585 coast guard, 187,603 police, 9,349 Rapid Action Battalion, 576,483 Ansar personnel and Village Defence Party, and 45,820 chowkidars and dafadars.
Analysts said the army’s impartiality in this election had eased public doubts from its role in three previous controversial polls under the now-ousted Awami League government. The military overcame a trust deficit and redefined its public role through its professional demonstration of neutrality. At a critical juncture, the army’s conduct helped sustain state stability. The election duty represented a “rehabilitation moment” for the force. Operating effectively within an amended legal framework, the army restored its credibility, according to experts.
Dr Tawohidul Haque, an associate professor at the University of Dhaka’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research and a crime specialist, told Bonik Barta: “There were considerable questions among the public regarding the army’s role and involvement in past elections. It’s also true that the army operated within the scope and opportunities it was given at that time. But this time, everything about its election duty — its involvement, the scope of its responsibility, its judicial authority, and the number of personnel deployed — was unprecedented. They were able to perform with complete professionalism. Our army has, through its work, created a global status or position. The army can carry out its duties with professionalism when given the opportunity to manage elections or political crises; this election has proven that.”
The Representation of the People Order was amended back in 2001 ahead of the eighth parliamentary election. That amendment included the armed forces in the definition of law enforcement agencies for the first time. The military was then granted specific powers, not just as a supporting force but as a law enforcement agency during elections. After winning the ninth parliamentary election in 2008, the Awami League government removed the armed forces from that definition in the RPO. The interim government, installed after the AL government was deposed in August 2024, amended the order to reinstate the military within law enforcement agencies.
During the past three elections under the now-ousted AL government, the army was fielded alongside other law enforcement agencies. Critics, however, allege that despite their formal deployment, the army’s role was largely passive even when irregularities were reported in some areas. The 2008 election, conducted under an army-backed caretaker government, has also faced accusations that the army and intelligence agencies exerted undue influence.
Ahead of the 13th parliamentary election, the army headquarters issued a declaration that troops would perform their duties with complete impartiality. It also stated that force would be used in accordance with the law if necessary to control any undesirable situation.