On 11 November, the Bangladesh government announced that all civilian guns must be given to the police for safekeeping until 5 January 2009, during the period of the national elections, scheduled for 18 and 28 December.

The Department of Film and Publication has also put an advertisement in all the national newspapers asking people to scrutinise the candidates of the elections, so that they will not vote for candiddates known to be criminals with a past record of gun violence.

The advertisement above says"No matter how important the leader, we have to know whethere they are a violent person before I cast my vote". The slogan below says "I will cast my vote after looking, listening and knowing for whom I am voting for".