The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government will deploy army as striking force alongside over 500,000 members of other law enforcing agencies across the country to ensure peaceful holding of elections in 481 upazila parishads on January 22.

The Election Commission earlier decided not to deploy members of the armed forces in the upazila polls but reviewed it later based on opinion of the field level officials engaged in holding the elections.

Members of BDR, coastguard, Rab and APBn will be in the field till January 24 to maintain law and order during and after the upazila polls, sources in the Home Ministry said.

Besides, Judicial and executive magistrates will also work in the field from January 16 to 24.

"One judicial and one executive magistrates will be deployed in each upazila from January 16," said Election Commissioner M Sohul Hossain on Tuesday.

Moreover, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain yesterday warned that the candidature of those who will try to grab polling centres in the January 22 upazila elections will be cancelled.

He said this while exchanging views at the Comilla Town Hall yesterday afternoon with the candidates of the elections.

Shakhawat also warned that punitive actions would be taken against those who will try to prevent voters from exercising their franchise.

Police Super of the district Imtiaz Ahmed and Additional Deputy Commissioner M Aminul Islam, among others, spoke at the meeting with Deputy Commissioner M Manzurur Rahman in the chair.

The government has already asked BDR and members of other law enforcers to tighten security and watch in the bordering areas so that criminals hiding abroad could not come to the country with firearms, ammunition and explosives ahead of the upazila elections.

It has also asked the customs and immigration authorities to mount watch to control arrival of persons who might be a risk or threat for holding the elections peacefully. Order has also been issued to arrest probable troublemakers during the election.

EC Secretariat officials also said security arrangement for the upazila elections will be as same as that of December 29 parliamentary election.

Law and order coordination cell will be opened at EC secretariat, home ministry and at the offices of returning officers three to four days before the polling day aiming at taking quick measures in case of any trouble.

As per the home ministry plan, 14 law enforcers including one armed policeman and one armed ansar will be deployed at each general polling station. The number will be 15, including two armed policemen and one armed ansar at each general polling station in hill tracts, islands and haor regions. However, the number of armed police will be three at each important polling station in those areas.

Besides, the home ministry has already issued a circular so that people having firearms' license do not carry their arms from December 15 to January 31.

The authority has imposed a ban on the movement of taxicab, baby-taxi/auto-rickshaw, microbus, jeep, pickup vans, car, bus, truck, tempo, launch, engine boat and speedboat from midnight January 21 to midnight January 22. The ban on the movement of motorcycle however will come into force on January 20 midnight and remain until January 24 midnight.

However, there will be no restriction on the movement of taxicab, microbus, pickup van and jeep in metropolitan city areas and on national highways.