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official of the police’s Special Branch (SB), requesting anonymity, told The Daily Star yesterday.

In Cumilla-11, among the seven contesting candidates, the main competition is expected to be between Jamaat’s central Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Cumilla BNP’s Senior Joint General Secretary Kamrul Huda.

“There is a risk of clashes between supporters of the two candidates as they try to assert dominance in the area,” the SB official said.

Contacted, Cumilla’s Superintendent of Police Md Anisuzzaman told The Daily Star that elections always involve some risks. “We have already intensified security measures. There is nothing to worry about; everything is going on smoothly.”

In Pabna, SP M Anwar Zahid said police were closely monitoring the situation. “We have polling centres across five constituencies. Some areas are traditionally vulnerable. We will increase force strength and deploy mobile teams in those places.”

Dhaka-15 has also been marked as high risk as Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman goes head-to-head with rival BNP candidate Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton, a former Jubo Dal leader.

“Jamaat will make its highest effort to ensure its top leader’s victory, while Milton has long-standing influence in the area. As a result, clashes may occur before or on polling day,” another senior SB official said, requesting anonymity.

Similarly, Dhaka-8, where BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas is running against NCP Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, is also on the high-risk list.

The seat was initially identified as “risky”, but recent heated verbal exchanges and egging incidents between supporters of the two candidates have further raised security concerns, the official said.

Besides the areas identified as high risk, police have also stepped up surveillance in Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur, and Faridpur, widely known as strongholds of the Awami League, whose political activities have been banned.

Officials at the Police Headquarters (PHQ) fear there could be possible incidents of voters being deterred through intimidation before and on election day.

Police have therefore intensified monitoring of outsiders’ movements, political activities, and suspicious behaviour around vulnerable polling centres in the four districts.

They said security planning in these districts was undertaken following violence in 2024, including the attack on army personnel in Gopalganj following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, and clashes surrounding an NCP rally last July.

Khondokar Rafiqul Islam, additional inspector general (crime and operations) at the PHQ, said, “Special vigilance would be maintained in areas previously known as strongholds of particular parties.

“Where needed, instead of one mobile team covering four centres, one team will be deployed for two centres. Force will be strengthened accordingly.”

He added that police have strategic plans in place to prevent any attempt to disrupt the polls, but declined to share details. “Those who may try to obstruct the election will not be allowed to remain at ease. We will keep them under surveillance and arrest them if necessary.”

The addl IG also said police operations are already underway and will be intensified as polling day approaches.

As law enforcers beef up security nationwide ahead of the election, Operation Devil Hunt phase-2 has been underway since December 13. As of Saturday, at least 24,085 people had been arrested and 591 firearms recovered in the operation so far, according to the PHQ database.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations, in a statement yesterday, said that joint army operations recovered 179 firearms and 1,941 rounds of ammunition, and detained 1,774 people between December 11 and February 1.