Dhaka, Dec 13 (Just News): The Election Commission has requested the Armed Forces Division to deploy troops across the country from December 24 as the striking force in the 11th parliamentary election, slated for December 30.
It made the call during a coordination meeting on election security strategy with representatives of law enforcement agencies held at the commission office in Agargaon, Dhaka on Thursday morning.
Top representatives from the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar and VDP, intelligence agencies and the Armed Forces Division, well as the 66 returning officers and superintendents of police (SPs) of all the districts joined the meeting.
Once deployed, the armed forces will maintain their position at designated places till January 2, the commission’s Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune.
He also said that it was proposed to deploy BGB from December 22, but the final decision on that would be taken on Saturday.
According to the working paper of the meeting, the army will be in charge of operating the electronic voting machines (EMVs) to be used in some voting centres. However, they will not be allowed to carry firearms and ammunition inside the EVM booths.
Without the permission of returning or presiding officers, army personnel will not go inside vote casting or counting rooms to take charge.
RAB, BGB, Coast Guard and Armed Police Battalion will work as mobile and striking forces. Of them, the Coast Guard will be in charge of safeguarding coastal areas. The Navy will also carry out their duties in the coastal areas as a striking force.
According to the working paper, the EC has proposed employing 16, including three to five armed men, at general polling centres, and four to six armed men at risky centres in the metropolitan areas.
It also proposed posting 14, including two to three armed men, at general centres and 15, including three to four armed men, at risky centres outside of metropolitan areas.
The police force will be in the field for a total of four days prior and after the polls, while Ansars will be deployed for five days.
The main objective of the police will be to ensure law and order inside polling centres. They will work in coordination with the Ansar.
Armed forces, divided in small teams, will also work in electoral areas to collect primary information on election infrastructure, environment and listed voters starting from December 15.
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at Thursday’s meeting also said that they had already completed 95% of election preparation.
(Justnews/ys/2330hr)
