Help new ROs in holding polls

The Election Commission (EC) yesterday directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) and Police Supers (SPs) to extend all out supports to its officials who have been made returning officers for the first time to help conduct the parliamentary by-elections to seven constituencies.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda made the directives at a meeting on the law and order situation ahead of the by-election to be held on April 2 and re-polling on April 6 to some upazilas, sources at the meeting said.

The meeting attended by senior officials from the security agencies also decided to beef up security during the by-polls with deployment of sufficient numbers of police and ansar, as army and BDR will not be assigned to the election duties.

Officials at the EC Secretariat said the commission will take all necessary measures to ensure credibility of the by-elections.

For the first time in its history, the EC has made its divisional deputy election commissioners and district election officers returning officers (ROs) while district election officers assistant returning officers (AROs) as part of efforts to train up its own officials for the polls.

Usually, the DCs are appointed as ROs and upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) as AROs for both general and by-elections.

The by-polls will be held in Rangpur-3, Rangpur-6, Kurigram-2, Bogra-6, Bogra-7, Bagerhat-1 and Kishoreganj-6 constituencies as President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and JP Chairman HM Ershad vacated their seats.

Two election commissioners---Muhammed Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Home Secretary Abdul Karim, ROs, AROs, DCs and SPs from districts concerned where the by-election to be held were present at the meeting at NEC conference room.

About the appointment of EC's own officials as ROs and AROs, the CEC said the EC Secretariat is now free from the control of other government ministries and divisions and it wants to train up its own officials to conduct the elections.

“However, it does not mean the election commission does not have confidence in the top officials of local administration,” said a source quoting the CEC as saying at the meeting.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the CEC said 14 security personnel of police and ansar would be deployed in all ordinary polling centres while 21 security personnel in the vulnerable polling centres.

He said members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) would be deployed as striking force five days before the polling. Besides, five judicial magistrates will be assigned at each parliamentary constituency to hold trial of electoral offences.

CEC Huda observes that the ongoing 'Operation Rebel Hunt' being conducted by the army may impact on the development of the country's law and order during the by-elections.

Re-polling to be held in six upazilas are Dighinala of Khagrachhari, Ukhia of Cox's Bazar, Belkuchi of Sirajganj, Brahmanbaria Sadar, Ramganj of Laxmipur and Barura of Comilla.

Re-elections will also be held in some centres of eight upazilas on March 16. The upazilas are Chouhali of Sirajganj, Gazaria of Munshiganj, Nandail of Mymensingh, Rupganj of Narayanganj, Laxmipur sadar, Swandip of Chittagong, Islampur of Jamalpur and Faridganj of Chandpur district.