Bangladesh News

Bolstered by the success in holding last month’s credible parliamentary poll, the Election Commission (EC) is now ready for the upcoming upazila parishad polls, as it ordered all law enforcing agencies yesterday to ensure peace by any means during the local government elections.

“We’ve taken all preparations. We’ve decided to deploy the army to avoid any unwarranted situation during the upazila polls, although it was not our primary choice,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda told reporters coming out of a high-level meeting on poll security.

The poll chief said being concerned by the recent post parliamentary poll violence, the commission decided to deploy the army during the upazila polls, asking them to intensify patrolling.

The CEC, who chaired the meeting, also asked all law enforcing agencies to perform their duties honestly and impartially as they had done in the parliamentary election, meeting sources said.

“He thanked us for performing our duties impartially during the national election, and requested us to do the same during the upazila polls,” a top police official attending the meeting said about the CEC’s gratitude towards the law enforcers.

The general election was held under a non-party military backed caretaker government while the upazila polls are going to be held under a government formed by a political alliance led by a party. In the past, ruling parties manipulated local government elections.

Mentioning 87 percent voter turnout in the last month’s general election, the CEC said it was possible because peace and security was ensured.

He expected that the voter turnout in upazila polls will be nearly the same, if the voters get the confidence that they will be able to return home safe after casting their votes without any intimidation.

“We don’t know what will be the voter turnout, but we want a turnout similar to the one in parliamentary election,” he said adding, the army will remain deployed from January 20 to 24.

ATM Shamsul Huda also said the commission already directed all returning officers to close down polling stations in case of any untoward incident, or if there is any apprehension of violence.

“We are always asking returning officers to take such measures, so none may manipulate voters’ verdict through violence or any other form of force,” the CEC said.

The meeting that finalised the steps for ensuring law and order during the January 22 upazila polls was attended by the chiefs of police, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Ansar, and intelligence agencies, and representatives of the Armed Forces Division, superintendents of police of all districts, and other senior police officials. The meeting was held in the National Economic Council Auditorium at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar of the capital.

The hour-long meeting also reviewed the pre-election law and order situation, and decided on steps for maintaining post-election law and order including arrest of criminals, musclemen, and extortionists. It also took decisions on measures for ensuring security of election materials while being transported.

The home ministry already decided to deploy over five lakh security personnel across the country during the third upazila polls which for the first time are being held simultaneously in all upazilas.

The EC already completed printing 22 crore three-colour ballot papers to be cast for electing chairmen, vice-chairmen, and female vice-chairmen to reserved seats. Delivery of election equipment to the 481 upazilas is scheduled to start today.

For the first time transparent ballot boxes and indelible ink will also be used in the upazila elections.

January 22 will be a public holiday in the 481 upazilas, but it will not be applicable to city corporation areas.

A total of 8,131 persons are contesting for the posts of upzila chairmen, vice-chairmen, and women vice-chairmen in reserved seats, with a total number of voters standing at 7.36 crore.

Thirteen upazila parishad officials were already elected uncontested, two of whom were elected chairmen, three vice-chairmen, and eight women vice-chairmen to reserved seats.

Voters will vote in 1,74,763 polling booths in 32,381 voting centres. Each of the centres will have one presiding officer and one assistant presiding officer, while 3,49,526 will work as polling officers.