Bangladesh News

Troops and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed to build up a three-tier security system during the parliamentary and upazila elections, now slated for December 29 and January 22.

The caretaker government also hopes that the country’s law and order will not deteriorate even if the state of emergency is lifted.

“We hope that the situation will stay normal after lifting of the emergency,” Home Adviser MA Matin told reporters after a meeting on law and order at the Secretariat yesterday.

He, however, said the government would decide when to lift the emergency. He did not also say whether the emergency would be lifted totally or partially.

Matin said the army, navy, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and other law enforcement agencies would be deployed a few days ahead of the polls as per the desire of the Election Commission.

He said four to five platoons of troops would be deployed in each district along with other forces as mobile strike forces around polling centres on the polling day.

He dismissed the possibility of any threat on former premiers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, who are now getting security under the Special Security Force, and said there would be special security arrangement for VIPs during the election.

About the control on the army, Home Secretary Abdul Karim told the media that a statutory order was being readied with instructions as to under whom the army will move and perform duty.

He said control rooms would be set up at the home ministry and at district level four days before the election.

Karim said there would be 35,500 polling centres across the country. Asked about the number of vulnerable centres, he said their exact number would be determined later.

He said each polling station would have a 13-member security team while a risky centre would have a 19-member team.

The home secretary said the drive to retrieve illegal arms and arrest listed criminals would be intensified to keep the election free from terrorism and black money. He also said police would arrest real criminals rather than going for mass arrest.

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad, Rapid Action Battalion Director General Hasan Mahmud Khandakar, BDR Director General Major General Shakil Ahmed, and officials of the home ministry and the EC were present at the meeting chaired by Adviser Matin.