United News of Bangladesh

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday said that there would be no possibility of ballot snatching at polling centres in the upcoming national election. “The upcoming national election will be free, fair, impartial, peaceful and festive in Bangladesh’s history which will serve as a role model,” he said while speaking at a views-exchange meeting at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Malibagh area of the capital. In previous national elections, only one armed police member was deployed at each polling centre and for the first time, at least five armed members of law-enforcement agencies will be deployed at every polling centre in the upcoming election, he said. Of them, at least two will be armed police members and three armed Ansar members, he added. Besides, six armed law-enforcement personnel will be deployed in important polling centres, including three armed police members while10 unarmed Ansar members-- six male and four female Ansar members--equipped with batons will be posted at each polling centre, he said. The election officials and law-enforcement personnel must perform their duties with 100 percent honesty, neutrality and professionalism, he added. This time, there are several important aspects , including training of law-enforcement personnel, the use of body-worn cameras, installation of CCTV cameras and the deployment of drones and dog squads, said the adviser. The expatriate voters, government officials and employees, election-duty officials and members of law-enforcement agencies will be able to exercise their voting rights by registering through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app, he said. Nearly 9 lakh law enforcers to be deployed during polls: Home Adviser Besides, a record number of around 9 lakh law-enforcement personnel will be engaged in election duties. The law-enforcement agencies, BNCC, Girls Guide and Scout members will also assist in maintaining order, he added. He said the forces would be deployed in two phases to maintain law and order during the election. The first phase, with currently deployed personnel, will continue, while the second phase will see polling-centre-based deployment from February 8–14, with officers on duty for seven days. Later, the adviser presented awards to CID officers for their outstanding performance.