The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Government yesterday warned the political parties to not to bring out election rallies and processions before November 27.

Breaking the order would be in breach of the emergency powers rules and necessary directives were given to police to take action against the violators.

The order came from a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order. Home Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) Abdul Matin, Chairman of the Committee, presided over the meeting.

Law Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Inspector General of Police Noor Mohammad, RAB Director General Hasan Mahmud Khandker and high officials of the Ministry attended the meeting.

"According to the latest amendment to the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) ban on publicity, rallies and procession have been withdrawn from 21 days ahead of the voting. Publicity for parliamentary election can be carried out from November 27," said Abdul Karim, Home Secretary to the journalists after the meeting.

To arrest the violators, police will intensify illegal arms recovery drive and take deposit of the legal arms to stop violence during the election.

Election rules bar publicity earlier than three weeks ahead of the general election slated for December 18. "Rallies and meetings held before that date would be in clear violation of the emergency powers rules and in that case the police would act," the Home Secretary said.

He said the Government scrapped Section 5 and 6 of the Emergency Powers Rules 2007 on November 3 after the schedule for the parliamentary and upazila polls were announced a day earlier. The restrictions on the election campaigning and the media were also lifted.

He also said the cabinet committee also urged the owners of all types of firearms to deposit those to police stations from November 20 to December 3. The arms would be kept until January 5 of the next year.

"After depositing the arms carrying of arms will remain banned till January 5 of 2009. Apart from law enforcing agency personnel the security workers of financial institutions including banks can carry arms if necessary," he mentioned.

He, however, said no new arms licence would be issued to any individual until the elections were over. The sale of all types of firearms and ammunition has also been banned until further notice. Law-enforcement agencies would be deployed in line with the demand of the Election Commission, Karim said.

He claimed that the law and order situation was comparatively better than last month. I don't see any possibility of its deterioration ahead of the elections.