Decision over army deployment within days: CEC
UNB
Dhaka: Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad on Sunday said the Election Commission will decide within a couple of days whether army will be deployed during the elections to the three city corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong.
The CEC said this while briefing reporters after a meeting on law and order situation in the three city corporations ahead of the polls slated for 28 April.
He said all the law enforcement and intelligence agencies at the meeting informed the commission that the law and order situation is normal ahead of the elections.
The meeting started at NEC conference room at 11:10am with CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad in then chair and it continued till 2:00pm.
Election Commissioners Mohammad Abdul Mobarak, Abu Hafiz, Brig Gen (retd) Zabed Ali and Shah Nawaz, as well as EC Secretary Sirazul Islam, the returning officers of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka North City Corporation (DSCC) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) were also present.
Top officials from Police, Rab, Ansar, BGB and Coastguard, intelligence agencies and the Armed Force Division joined the meeting.
Besides, DMP commissioner, CMP commissioner, Deputy Commissioners of Dhaka and Chittagong, and top officials from other law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies took part in the meeting.
Coming out of the meeting, Rab Additional Director General Col Ziaul Ahsan told reporters that it’s up to the election commission if they will deploy the army in the elections. ‘But I think there is no need to deploy the army in the elections. Police and Rab are enough to control the situation.’
He said all candidates are in win-win situation. All candidates want to win the polls. ‘So, the contenders, including the ruling party, opposition and BNP-backed ones who resort to violence will be the losers.’
Preferring anonymity, an official who was present at the meeting said that all representatives from law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies told the commission that the army deployment will not be required in the elections.