Army ready for deployment

The army has been kept ready for deployment to maintain law and order during the general election, said Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.
“The time as well as number of the army personnel to be deployed will be decided in the meeting with the security forces and returning officers soon," he told reporters at the EC secretariat yesterday.
The army might be deployed one or two days earlier in remote areas than elsewhere in the country, the CEC said expressing hope that the ongoing violence would reduce and law and order would improve soon.  
Sources in the EC told The Daily Star that the meeting with security agencies might be held on December 19.
Rakibuddin once again expressed hope for a political consensus to end the political deadlock.
Replying to a question whether the election would be acceptable without the participation of the BNP, the EC boss said, "We cannot say it so early. We will be able to make comments on it considering many issues like voter turnout rate, polling atmospheres and other things."
About Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad's request for not allocating its electoral symbol plough to any other candidates, he said, "Returning officers will take the decision in this regard."
“If any appeal is filed with the commission against any decision of returning officers, we will look into it," the CEC added.
Ershad in a letter yesterday requested the CEC not to allocate the party's electoral symbol to any other candidates, saying that the JP would not participate in the polls.
On the meeting with the visiting British Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister, Baroness Warsi, Rakibuddin said, “We have discussed different technical issues related to the election.”
Asked about foreign observers, he said the EC had sent invitations to many international organisations and many of them have responded positively.
The 10th parliamentary election is scheduled for January 5.