Special Correspondent :
The Election Commission (EC) once again ruled out the possibility of delaying the 11th Parliamentary polls, which is scheduled to be held on December 30 as per amended schedule.
“No scope to defer polls further,” EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmad said yesterday.
The EC secretary’s reply came a day after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda told the Oikyafront leaders in a meeting at EC on Wednesday that the demand of deferment of polls schedule will be considered.
Helaluddin said the EC has to do a lot of works after election such as re-election, correction of results and publishing of gazette and arrange oath-taking of the new government.
Besides, engagement of large number of members of law enforcement agencies will require to ensure peaceful completion of the Biswa Ijtema at Tongi, he added.
The 10th parliamentary election was held on January 5, 2014. According to the Constitution, the 11th Parliamentary poll needs to be completed by January 28 in 2019. In light of this, the EC had announced polls schedule on November 8 with the target of holding election on December 23.
But, the schedule has been deferred by the EC on November 12 in the wake of demands from opposition political parties. According to the amended schedule, the election date was re-fixed on December 30.
On November 13, though Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda ruled out the possibility of further deferment of the election date, Jatiya Oikyafront leaders included BNP top leaders met CEC demanding further deferral of the polls schedule by three more weeks.
Meanwhile, EC Secretary said that Army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members will be deployed across the country at least three to ten days ahead of the polls date on December 30.
He said Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) have been
directed to arrange accommodation for the Army and BGB personnel.
The EC Secretary said that the decision of army and BGB deployment came in a purview to utilize them as ‘aiding force’ for maintaining law and order for holding the 11th Parliamentary polls in a free and fair manner.
“It is not yet decided when the army deployment will begin. It might be three, five, seven or ten days before the election,” Helaluddin told journalists during a briefing followed by an EC meeting in the afternoon.
“They (Army and BGB members) will require accommodation and the UNOs have been asked to arrange it,” he added.
One of the vital demands of Jatiya Oikyfront and BNP was army deployment at polling centres with magistracy authority. In counter reaction, ruling Awami League leaders told the media that they are not against army deployment. “But, there is no scope to give them magistracy authority,” said the AL leaders.
In this perspective, the EC had told the media after announcement of the polls schedule that the decision of deployment of army will require further discussion in the commission’s meeting.
The EC Secretary briefed Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) from Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions yesterday. On the day before, AROs from other divisions were briefed of their role and responsibility in order to create level-playing field for a fair poll.
He asked the AROs to work out a complete plan early on providing training to presiding officers. He also directed them to arrange sufficient security measures for conservation, transportation and distribution of election-related materials, including ballot papers.
“Find a place safe from where the election results will be declared,” Helaluddin asked AROs.
Expressing concern over the Wednesday’s incident in city’s Nayapaltan area, he said, “It was unexpected. Recurrence of such incident will not be allowed.”
He said officials engaged in election duties will be punished in case of failure in discharging responsibilities properly.
The Election Commission (EC) once again ruled out the possibility of delaying the 11th Parliamentary polls, which is scheduled to be held on December 30 as per amended schedule.
“No scope to defer polls further,” EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmad said yesterday.
The EC secretary’s reply came a day after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda told the Oikyafront leaders in a meeting at EC on Wednesday that the demand of deferment of polls schedule will be considered.
Helaluddin said the EC has to do a lot of works after election such as re-election, correction of results and publishing of gazette and arrange oath-taking of the new government.
Besides, engagement of large number of members of law enforcement agencies will require to ensure peaceful completion of the Biswa Ijtema at Tongi, he added.
The 10th parliamentary election was held on January 5, 2014. According to the Constitution, the 11th Parliamentary poll needs to be completed by January 28 in 2019. In light of this, the EC had announced polls schedule on November 8 with the target of holding election on December 23.
But, the schedule has been deferred by the EC on November 12 in the wake of demands from opposition political parties. According to the amended schedule, the election date was re-fixed on December 30.
On November 13, though Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda ruled out the possibility of further deferment of the election date, Jatiya Oikyafront leaders included BNP top leaders met CEC demanding further deferral of the polls schedule by three more weeks.
Meanwhile, EC Secretary said that Army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members will be deployed across the country at least three to ten days ahead of the polls date on December 30.
He said Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) have been
directed to arrange accommodation for the Army and BGB personnel.
The EC Secretary said that the decision of army and BGB deployment came in a purview to utilize them as ‘aiding force’ for maintaining law and order for holding the 11th Parliamentary polls in a free and fair manner.
“It is not yet decided when the army deployment will begin. It might be three, five, seven or ten days before the election,” Helaluddin told journalists during a briefing followed by an EC meeting in the afternoon.
“They (Army and BGB members) will require accommodation and the UNOs have been asked to arrange it,” he added.
One of the vital demands of Jatiya Oikyfront and BNP was army deployment at polling centres with magistracy authority. In counter reaction, ruling Awami League leaders told the media that they are not against army deployment. “But, there is no scope to give them magistracy authority,” said the AL leaders.
In this perspective, the EC had told the media after announcement of the polls schedule that the decision of deployment of army will require further discussion in the commission’s meeting.
The EC Secretary briefed Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) from Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions yesterday. On the day before, AROs from other divisions were briefed of their role and responsibility in order to create level-playing field for a fair poll.
He asked the AROs to work out a complete plan early on providing training to presiding officers. He also directed them to arrange sufficient security measures for conservation, transportation and distribution of election-related materials, including ballot papers.
“Find a place safe from where the election results will be declared,” Helaluddin asked AROs.
Expressing concern over the Wednesday’s incident in city’s Nayapaltan area, he said, “It was unexpected. Recurrence of such incident will not be allowed.”
He said officials engaged in election duties will be punished in case of failure in discharging responsibilities properly.
