The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh will use advanced drone technology for the first time to monitor security and law and order during the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and referendum scheduled for February 12. Drones from the Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will provide live aerial surveillance of polling areas. A letter signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Shahidul Islam requested the armed forces’ Principal Staff Officer, and the heads of BGB and RAB, to take necessary measures for the operation.

According to the EC’s plan, each of the three forces will deploy their own drones. The live video feed will be transmitted directly to the EC Secretariat’s Law and Order Coordination Cell, while the Air Force feed will also be displayed at the Chief Adviser’s Office. The EC believes this system will help quickly assess ground realities and support timely decision-making during the election.

The EC’s latest data shows Bangladesh has 127,711,739 registered voters, including 64,825,361 men, 62,885,200 women, and 1,232 transgender voters.