Returning Officer (RO) of Dhaka and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury. Photo: BSS

By Moshtak Ahmed

DHAKA, Jan 11, 2026 (BSS) - Returning Officer (RO) of Dhaka and Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury said 35,000 polling officers will be trained in Dhaka ahead of the upcoming 13th Parliamentary Election. 

He said all necessary preparations have already been completed to ensure a free and fair election.

Sharf Uddin made the remarks in an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on Sunday.

He said preparations for the election began from the very day the election schedule was announced. 

“We are following the guidelines provided to us and remain well within the stipulated time set by the Election Commission,” he said.

Regarding the preparations, the Dhaka Divisional Commissioner said inspection of polling centres is underway to assess their condition. 

“We are examining the centres to see their readiness. This time, we are also trying to include CCTV coverage where possible. We are checking whether institutions have CCTV cameras and whether they are functional, so that polling centres can be properly prepared,” he said.

He said the list of polling personnel has already been prepared by the Election Commission. Training for polling personnel will begin from the January 22, he said. 

The returning officer said mobile courts are also active to ensure enforcement of the electoral code of conduct. 

“We have deployed two executive magistrates in each constituency. In total, 26 executive magistrates are working across the 13 constituencies of Dhaka. In addition, the Electoral Inquiry Committees are also active. Considering all these measures, we believe we are well-prepared and hopeful of conducting a good election,” he said.

Regarding law and order, Sharf Uddin said he does not see major challenges in Dhaka city. 

He added that if candidates properly follow the electoral code of conduct, there should be no major problems. “So far, we have not seen any major incidents. There have been a few isolated incidents reported in the media, but those are not election-related,” he said.

Responding to a question on whether there would be any further directives to candidates to ensure compliance with the code of conduct, he said, “We requested all candidates in every constituency to follow the code of conduct and to instruct their supporters and well-wishers to do the same”.

He said that so far, no major violations by candidates have been reported. “There are some minor complaints, mostly arising from misunderstandings. As candidates visit different places and interact with people, sometimes they fail to differentiate properly, leading to small issues. We are resolving these immediately, and the candidates are also acknowledging and correcting their actions,” he said.