EC wants army vigil in city polls

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The Election Commission (EC) will ask the government to deploy the armed forces for maintaining law and order during the elections to four city corporations and seven municipalities.

“The armed forces will be deployed in both city corporation and municipality elections,” said Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain while speaking with reporters at his office yesterday.

According to earlier announcement of the EC, elections to Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet city corporations, and the municipalities of Manikganj, Shariatpur, Sreepur under Gazipur, Phulbaria under Mymensingh, Sitakunda, Cox’s Bazar, and Golapganj under Sylhet are supposed to be held in May this year — the first election under the present military-backed caretaker government.

The armed forces maintained law and order in city corporation elections before. If approved by the government, it would be the first time the military would be maintaining peace at the municipality elections.

In 2003, the then BNP-led alliance government turned down the then chief election commissioner’s recommendation to deploy the military for maintaining law and order during union parishad elections.

Election Commissioner Sakhawat also said the EC is working on a proposal aimed at taking punitive measures against polling officials and law enforcers including members of the armed forces for any act to influence the elections.

If any allegation is lodged with the commission, it will investigate it, he said adding that once the individual involved is found to be guilty, the commission would ask the authorities concerned to take departmental action against the accused.

“In case of criminal offences, actions might be taken under existing laws,” said Sakhawat.

Persuading one to cast vote, dissuade one from casting vote and any other act that would influence someone during the voting or have impact on poll results would be considered punishable offences, said sources.

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