Home Ministry: Tight security to be ensured at upazila polls

Maximum number of law enforcement agencies especially ansars and police will be deployed in each polling station to make the upazila elections free and fair.

"At the same time, a magistrate will be appointed in each union and anyone can lodge a complaint by dialing 999," senior secretary of the public security division of Home Ministry Mostafizur Rahman told journalists on Monday after a meeting of law and order ahead of the upazila parishad elections.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal presided over the meeting and took various decisions to ensure the security of the upazila elections.

Giving details of the decision, the senior secretary said that each polling station will have a team of 17 to 18 members with a combination of police and Ansar to ensure security.

He said complaints can be lodged by dialing 999 number during the upazila elections like the 12th national parliamentary election.

"The number of law enforcement members assigned to polling stations has been increased substantially from what was previously. Now each center will have three policemen with arms and three Ansar PCs with APCs with arms. A total of six-armed member will be there, while at least 10 Ansars will be deployed to ensure security for each booth management. One additional ansar will be also added if there are more than six booths," he added.

Mostafizur Rahman said: "A total of 17 to 18 forces, including four policemen with weapons and three Ansar members with weapons, will be deployed in important centers."

As the ballot papers will be delivered on the polling day, so mobile force, the striking force will be engaged in delivering the ballot papers in the morning, he said, adding, "After reaching the ballot paper center, they will be assigned area-wise responsibility. District magistrate, superintendent of police, returning officer will talk to them and gave their duties."

He said one executive magistrate would be assigned to each union. They will be there five days including two days before and after the poll and also the polling day to ensure the code of conduct of the polls and security.

"We will have a striking force or mobile force consisting of one Ansar, Police, BGB, RAB and Coast Guard for every five centers. Instead of BGB, Coast Guard will perform duties in the coastal areas," the senior secretary said.

He added that like every year in some remote centers in the hilly areas, the officials and voting materials will be delivered by helicopter.

As per the intelligence, there is no information of violence but the law enforcement agencies will be alert, Mostafizur Rahman added.

He said that there will be a coordination cell in the Ministry of Home Affairs consisting of representatives of all the forces and all the complaints related to the elections will be received through 999.

"Our coordination cell will be active for four days; two days before each vote, polling day and the day after the vote," the senior secretary said.

Source: BSS