UNB, Chittagong :
Urging the Election Commission to play a strong role in preventing any possible violence during polls, Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform working for good governance, on Saturday stressed the need for deploying army ahead of the city polls to ensure a peaceful environment.
Sujan’s Chittagong unit general secretary adv Akhter Kabir read out a written statement at a press conference at the local press club, putting forward their suggestion.
The statement said it is necessary to take precautionary measures to ensure a peaceful environment of voting, prevent capturing of polling centere and snatching of ballot papers and ballot boxes.
“The experience of the previous upazila elections says army deployment is needed. We want to observe the situation for a few days more. Then we’ll place our specific statement over army deployment,” it added.
The statement further said, “We’ve urged the Election Commission to take a strong stance. But we’ve been observing with utmost frustration that they (EC) didn’t pay any heed to our call. Violation of the electoral code of conduct is continuing but the EC seems to be reluctant about taking any action.”
“We urge the EC not to remain confined to only issuing show-cause notices or fining but take tough actions against those violating the electoral code of conduct,” it added.
It said, “We’ve come out from the unstable political situation with the city corporation elections. If the elections are not held peacefully we might have to face the same situation again.”
Addressing the press conference, Sujan central secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said, “The experience of the past upazila elections is not good. We saw violence, ballot box snatching, even deaths. Now it’s the EC to decide whether it’ll be able to hold the polls peacefully without army deployment.”
Urging the Election Commission to play a strong role in preventing any possible violence during polls, Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform working for good governance, on Saturday stressed the need for deploying army ahead of the city polls to ensure a peaceful environment.
Sujan’s Chittagong unit general secretary adv Akhter Kabir read out a written statement at a press conference at the local press club, putting forward their suggestion.
The statement said it is necessary to take precautionary measures to ensure a peaceful environment of voting, prevent capturing of polling centere and snatching of ballot papers and ballot boxes.
“The experience of the previous upazila elections says army deployment is needed. We want to observe the situation for a few days more. Then we’ll place our specific statement over army deployment,” it added.
The statement further said, “We’ve urged the Election Commission to take a strong stance. But we’ve been observing with utmost frustration that they (EC) didn’t pay any heed to our call. Violation of the electoral code of conduct is continuing but the EC seems to be reluctant about taking any action.”
“We urge the EC not to remain confined to only issuing show-cause notices or fining but take tough actions against those violating the electoral code of conduct,” it added.
It said, “We’ve come out from the unstable political situation with the city corporation elections. If the elections are not held peacefully we might have to face the same situation again.”
Addressing the press conference, Sujan central secretary Badiul Alam Majumder said, “The experience of the past upazila elections is not good. We saw violence, ballot box snatching, even deaths. Now it’s the EC to decide whether it’ll be able to hold the polls peacefully without army deployment.”
