DHAKA, Feb 9, 2026 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) has decided to transmit election results and related information through a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) during the upcoming 13th national parliament election scheduled for February 12.

The directive was issued today in a letter signed by Md. Shahidul Islam, Senior Assistant Secretary of the EC Secretariat. 

According to the letter, results will be sent from the offices of Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers using VPN connections to ensure data security and uninterrupted communication.

The EC has instructed that election-related information will be transmitted through approved VPN services, including BTCL, Teletalk, Grameenphone, and Cisco AnyConnect. 

Regionally responsible technical operators have been assigned to provide necessary assistance and will remain stationed at the Election Building.

The letter also notes that -- where Returning Officer’s offices are located near District, Upazila, or Station Election Offices -- VPN connections may be established using fiber optic or Ethernet cables under BTCL’s VPN network. 

In such cases, the MAC address of the connected device must be submitted, and the VPN connection must be disconnected within two days after the election.

For areas using Cisco AnyConnect software, offices must ensure a minimum internet speed of 10 Mbps through an ISP. User IDs and passwords for the software will be provided to District Election Officers in due course. Technical support for software installation and VPN SIM replacement will also be available through designated operators.

The EC has emphasized the importance of maintaining uninterrupted internet services and ensuring that all cable connections remain intact throughout the election period.

The EC has requested all concerned authorities to take necessary measures to implement these instructions smoothly during the election period.