UNB, Dhaka :The five-member election commission has still not reached a consensus on whether to deploy the armed forces, ahead of the elections to three city corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong.The commission failed to reach a final decision in this regard despite several meetings on Monday.Three commissioners including Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad are in favour of deployment of the army ahead of the city polls slated for April 28, while the remaining two commissioners remain opposed, according to a highly-placed source of the commission.Subsequently, a file was sent to each election commissioner’s office seeking their opinion separately over the issue. Out of four commissioners barring the CEC, two commissioners have signed the file supporting the move, while the remaining two commissioners have not done so yet.An election commissioner told UNB on Monday evening that most probably the final decision in this regard will come on Tuesday, as the commission will sit in a meeting again on the day.However, the commission will take the decision in favour of army deployment if a majority-at least three out of five commissioners including CEC- of the commission finally endorses the move.EC officials said, if the army is deployed in the election, it will be for four days before and after the balloting day.EC Secretary Sirazul Islam at a briefing on Monday afternoon said the decision over the army deployment is yet to be taken. “A process is underway.”Coming out from the EC’s coordination meeting over security arrangements, 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 city elections.However, all representatives from law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies at the meeting told the commission that the army deployment will not be required in the elections to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).A number of mayoral and councillor candidates, especially BNP-backed ones have been demanding the army to be deployed ahead of the city elections.
