Kazi Zahidul Hasan :The Election Commission (EC) has finally decided to deploy armed personnel in the ensuing polls to Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporations, official sources said.Election Commissioner Mohammad Shahnewaz disclosed the decision while talking to the journalists at the EC office on Tuesday afternoon.”The army will remain on election duty from April 26 to April 29 to ensure the upcoming City Corporation polls in a free, fair and peaceful manner,” he said, adding, “Deployment of army will also help ensure level-playing field in the upcoming City Corporation elections”.The Dhaka North, South and Chittagong City Corporations polls is scheduled to be held on April 28.Mohammad Shahnewaz said: We talked with law enforcing agencies. They said the law and order situation is normal in the country. Despite this army will be deployed to remove people’s anxiety and to hold an acceptable election.The army will work as striking force, he further said. On Monday, the EC held a close door meeting on the issue, presided over by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The meeting unanimously decided to army deployment. Earlier, political parties, including BNP and various organisations demanded army deployment to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.They apprehended that if the army is not called, the April 28 polls will be rigged.Hailing the EC’s decision Badiul Alam Majumdar, Secretary General of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), said, “Calling army in city polls is a good decision. It will help ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections to Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporations. It will also check occupation of polling centres and snatching of ballot papers and ballot boxes”. Badiul Alam Majumdar also said that apart from army deployment the EC should take necessary steps to ensure that all participants maintain discipline during the City Corporation polls.Replying to a question Badiul Alam Majumdar said, the incidents of vote rigging, ballot box and ballot paper hijacking, violence and killing occurred during the Upazila Parishad elections and such incidences justify army deployment in city polls.”It’s a positive move by EC,” said Amir Khasru Mahmood Chowdhury, an adviser of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, adding that but how they will work during elections is the question.He further said that army should be provided full magistracy during polls duty not only for patrolling. They should be used as a ‘striking force.’
