Comprehensive Security Arrangements at Sylhet Polling Stations

As Bangladesh prepares for the forthcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and the simultaneous referendum, authorities in Sylhet District have put in place extensive security arrangements across all polling centres. A total of 1,016 polling stations are scheduled to operate within the district, with law enforcement marking 198 centres as particularly significant to ensure smooth and secure voting.

The distribution of election materials commenced on Wednesday, 11 February, from noon. For Sylhet-1 constituency, materials were dispatched from the Government Women’s College centre and the Sadar Upazila centre, while the remaining constituencies received their equipment through respective Upazila offices.

According to law enforcement sources, the Sylhet District contains 722 polling stations, while the Sylhet Metropolitan area alone accounts for 294 centres. Jurisdictionally, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police oversees the entirety of Sylhet-1 and parts of Sylhet-3 constituencies, whereas the remaining four constituencies fall under the supervision of the Sylhet District Police.

Mohammad Saiful Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, stated that within the metropolitan area’s 294 polling centres, 95 are classified as highly significant, 134 as significant, and 65 as ordinary. Each centre will be secured by law enforcement personnel alongside mobile teams and striking forces to ensure rapid response capabilities.

Md. Samrat Talukdar, Assistant Superintendent of Sylhet District Police (Media), noted that among the 722 district polling stations, 103 are marked as significant and 619 as ordinary. All centres have received comprehensive security preparations to guarantee voter safety.

District Commissioner and Returning Officer Md. Sarwar Alam oversaw the election material distribution. He indicated that highly significant centres will be staffed by three police officers and thirteen Ansar personnel. He further reported that approximately 42,000 voters have registered for postal ballots, with 36,000 already dispatched.

Special arrangements have also been implemented to protect minority communities. The Returning Officer emphasised that the administration has undertaken maximum preparedness to ensure the smoothest and most transparent election in history.

The following table summarises the polling stations in Sylhet by category:

These security measures reflect a concerted effort to uphold election integrity while ensuring the safety and confidence of all voters across Sylhet.