EC won’t call in army for city polls

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The Election Commission (EC) yesterday decided not to ask the government to deploy the army alongside police forces for duties of the August 4 city corporation and municipality elections.

The joint forces will launch a combing operation ahead of the polls to recover illegal arms and arrest criminals and goons to prevent them from muscling in on the polls, sources said, quoting decisions taken at a high level meeting yesterday.

The combing operation in the city corporation areas of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet and nine municipalities will be launched a few days before the polling day and continued for a few days after the polls.

The EC proposed that the joint forces for the combing operation should comprise the army, Bangladesh Rifles and police.

Senior officials of the LGRD and home ministries, police administration, Armed Forces Division and the National Security Intelligence attended the meeting held at the National Economic Council auditorium.

The army was deployed as a striking force during polls to these four city corporations in 2002. But this time, the police administration has been assigned the responsibility to maintain law and order for holding the elections peacefully.

Policemen will be deployed at polling stations and as mobile and striking forces, meeting sources said, adding that Ansar forces would also be working with the police.

Senior officials at the EC Secretariat, however, said the army, which has been working at the field level to maintain law and order since the declaration of the state of emergency on January 11 last year, would help the police in electoral areas, if necessary.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad assured the EC of deploying his force to maintain law and order. “The police forces are stronger now than before,” a meeting source said quoting the IGP.

Senior officials of administration of the electoral areas told the EC that they are not facing any major problems yet.

According to the meeting’s decision, 24 security personnel including 10 armed policemen will be deployed at each vulnerable polling station while 22 security personnel each will be deployed at other poling stations.

Adequate number of mobile courts will also work on the polling day to try electoral offences summarily, the sources said.

The EC directed the police administration to file criminal cases against contesting candidates if they are found to spend money beyond the election expenditure ceiling for campaigns.

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters after the meeting that the army would not be deployed for election duties.

At the meeting, Huda termed the August 4 polls a “test case” for the EC and said if the polls could be held fairly, it would impact the upcoming upazila and parliamentary elections.

Huda said many have voiced concerns over criminals’ returning to their stamping grounds following the announcement of the election schedule. Only a few days have passed after the state of emergency was relaxed, he said, adding, “So, we will have to be more alert in the coming days.”

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