Bandobast

Bandobast is a term widely used in the Indian subcontinent to refer to organized security and logistical arrangements for events, public gatherings, and administrative operations. It denotes the planning, deployment of personnel and resources, and the procedures put in place to maintain order, manage crowds, regulate traffic, and ensure a rapid response to incidents. The word is derived from Urdu/Hindi and has roots in Persian, and it is commonly employed in India, Pakistan, and neighboring regions.

In practice, bandobast covers activities such as risk assessment, resource allocation, route planning, barricading and signage, deployment of police and security personnel, traffic management, surveillance, communications, crowd-control measures, and emergency readiness. It is routinely invoked for elections, religious festivals, large processions, protests, sports events, and other mass gatherings. Bandobast plans are typically issued as official orders by police or district administrations, detailing timings, locations, officer assignments, escalation procedures, and coordination with other agencies.

The term also appears in a broader sense to describe the act of arranging operational logistics to ensure the smooth conduct or security of an activity. While primarily administrative, bandobast carries cultural resonance in media and reportage, signaling the scale and seriousness of security and logistical preparations for a given event.