Staff Reporter :
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said, the police and the civil administration are working under the commission and they are not arresting anyone without a valid reason or going beyond the directives of the EC. The police and administration were working under the commission.
KM Nurul Huda gave the briefing after a meeting with Executive Magistrates on electoral code of conduct in the EC auditorium of the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. Saturday was the first day of a three-day meeting, where executive magistrates from 18 districts took part.
“The commission has given directives to police. They are working accordingly,” the CEC said.
He further said that there were no government instructions on the EC over the upcoming election, he said.
The CEC also said although the 11th parliamentary election will be held under the partisan government, local administration will work under the directives of the election commission.
He ruled out BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront’s allegation that level-playing field was not prevailing at present and that the field-level election officials are not obeying the EC’s directives.
All the activities of the commission are being regularized in accordance with the law, the CEC said.
At the inaugural session, the CEC and four election commissioners-Mahbub Talukder, Shahadat Hossain, Rafiqul Islam and Kabita Khanom-were present.
The commission in the three-day briefing will give directives to the executive magistrates over how to conduct drives against those accused of violation of electoral code of conduct in the 11th National Election slated for 30 December.
Magistrates from Dhaka, Gopalganj, Cumilla, Gazipur, Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Tangail, Faridpur, Manikganj, Kishoreganj, Sherpur, Rajbari, Madaripur, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Jamalpur, Shariatpur and Narsingdi were present on the occasion.
On 12 November, the EC directed the public administration ministry to appoint executive magistrates to check the violation of the electoral code of conduct.
The EC asked the ministry to appoint one executive magistrate for every upazila, one for three to four wards of city corporations, one to two magistrates for each district sadar municipality and one magistrate for three to four upazilas of the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
The commission asked the ministry to keep the magistrates engaged in the election duty till the next day of election (31 December).
Besides, the commission will deploy more executive magistrates and judicial magistrates in large scale a few days before the general election.
