Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus today said a fair and credible election is possible under the prevailing situation and with the preparations currently in place.

He said all those contesting the election are maintaining a positive attitude and mutual harmony.

“I hope that none of them will deviate from this approach,” Prof Yunus remarked during a high-level meeting on law and order ahead of the upcoming national polls.

Prof Yunus said the government would fully support the Election Commission (EC) so that Bangladesh can proudly claim to have conducted a fair election.

“This is a major challenge for the nation. We must take it on, complete this enormous task, and turn it into a historic achievement,” he said.

He said the 2026 election should set a benchmark for future polls in the country.

“The EC’s instructions are now the most important directives. Everyone must work together in strict accordance with them,” he added.

The army chief earlier informed the meeting that body cameras and CCTV cameras would be used, with all activities monitored from a central control room. Prof Yunus stressed seamless coordination among all forces involved in election duties.

He noted that a large number of journalists from home and abroad will cover the election, while domestic and international observers have shown strong interest.

EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told the meeting that 51 out of 59 registered political parties are participating in this year’s election.

Representatives from 26 countries have been invited to observe the polls, while the European Union is expected to send a team of around 300 members.

Already, 56 EU representatives are in Bangladesh, with two having observed the appeal process related to nomination papers.

Akhtar said misinformation in cyberspace poses a major challenge, adding that additional time will be required to count party symbol ballots, referendum ballots, and postal ballots.

Advisers Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Hafiz, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, and the chiefs of Bangladesh Navy and Air Force were among those present at the meeting.