Interim Govt Bans Unauthorised Rallies Post-Schedule; Deploys Record 9 Lakh Forces for Poll Security

The interim government has issued a strong warning, urging all citizens to refrain from holding any illegal or unauthorized gatherings, rallies, or movements following the imminent announcement of the schedule for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary elections.

The Chief Adviser's Press Wing confirmed that the election schedule will be announced within the next few days. This call was made after a meeting of the Home Affairs Ministry, held under the instruction of Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The government's primary goal is to ensure the election, slated for the first half of February next year, is "free, fair, impartial, acceptable and festive."

To achieve a smooth and secure electoral environment, a record deployment of nearly 9 lakh (900,000) personnel from various forces, including the armed forces, will be in place.

A record number of 150,000 police members have already completed electoral training for conducting fair elections. From the announcement of the schedule until the polls, any unauthorized gatherings that cause public suffering will be strictly controlled, and those participating illegally will face legal action.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury acknowledged that many people have legitimate demands, noting that over 2,000 protest programmes were staged in the past one and a half years.

However, he stated that since the country is now in an "election period," the government is urging everyone to present their demands to the post-election government. He expressed hope that no one would disrupt the normal atmosphere or create tension with their demands during this crucial time.