Dhaka: Bangladesh's police chief announced on Tuesday that more than 150,000 officers will be deployed to secure this week's elections. More than half of the country's 42,000 polling stations have been tagged as vulnerable to violence or unrest. Inspector General of Police, Baharul Alam, said, "More than 24,000 polling centres have been marked as either high-risk or moderately risky." He also revealed that police are teaming up with 100,000 soldiers and other security forces for Thursday's vote—the first since a mass uprising ended Sheikh Hasina's autocratic rule in 2024. The campaign period from December 11 to February 9 saw clashes that killed five people and injured over 600. Alam admitted there is still distrust of the police, explaining, "It is quite understandable why people do not trust the police," adding that harsh police actions over the past 150 years contributed to this. For the first time, police on patrol in high-risk areas will wear body cameras. Alam said, "We are 1,000 per cent confident about doing our part" to keep the polls peaceful. Meanwhile, Tarique Rahman, the main prime ministerial contender, shared his thoughts on Tuesday. He said he faces "huge" challenges if elected and promised to fix a country he said was looted under the previous regime. Rahman told AFP, "We need to ensure a normal situation in the country, so that people are safe."