42,700 law enforcers to be on polls duty
The Election Commission is planning to engage some 42,700 law enforcers on election duty, to maintain law and order during the Dhaka city corporations’ polls on February 1.
Besides, 172 executive magistrates and 64 judicial magistrates will be deployed on election duty to punish incidents of electoral violence and breaching polls code of conduct in election areas, according to a working paper of a meeting of law enforcing agencies with the EC.
The EC is scheduled to hold the meeting today, where Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda and others commissioner are scheduled to speak, attended by top brass of different law enforcement agencies.
According to the working paper, police, Rapid Action Battalion, Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and Border Guard Bangladesh will be on duty at polling centres, while mobile teams and strike force will be on duty for four days from January 30 to February 2.
EC sources said they are planning to deploy 65 platoons of BGB -- one per two wards -- to act as strike force.
According to EC sources, a platoon of BGB comprise 15 to 25 members. In that account there will be at least 975 BGB members in the capital on duty.
Teams comprising 16 law enforcers will guard each polling station, while teams comprising 18 members will guard polling stations considered vulnerable in Dhaka.
The 16-member team is comprised of four policemen with firearms -- including SI or ASI and three constables, two Ansar members with firearms, and 10 Ansar-VDP members carrying sticks.
As there are 2,468 poling stations in the two corporations -- 1,318 in DNCC and 1,150 in DSCC -- nearly 39,448 law enforcers will be needed to ensure law and order situation in and around polling stations.
Some 129 mobile teams -- 54 for DNCC and 75 for DSCC -- and 43 strike force teams -- 18 for DNCC and 25 for DSCC -- comprised of Police, APBn and Ansar will be on duty
Aside from that, 129 Rab teams -- 54 for DNCC and 75 for DSCC -- will be on patrol.
Judicial magistrates will be deployed from January 30 to February 3 for running mobile courts to punish incidents of electoral violence, while 43 executive magistrates are already put on duty and another 129 will be deployed for January 30 to February 2, for monitoring breach of polls code and maintaining law and order.
One executive magistrate will be deployed along with each strike force, especially for those comprising BGB men.
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