EC favours deployment of army
Decision later on how troops will be engaged in polls
The army will be deployed in the next general election but the method behind the deployment has not been decided yet, said Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar.
Speaking to some reporters at the Election Commission yesterday, he said there remained a “but” as the time has not come yet to say how the army will be engaged. The decision will be taken by the EC, he added.
“We, including the chief election commissioner, feel that the army should be deployed. Time will say how the army will be mobilised,” he said.
“Right at this moment, we may [have not] taken a decision but the decision will come in the course of time. Because time will say which decision is necessary,” he said.
Queried whether BNP's demands have played a role in that, he said they did not think so as their demand was giving magistracy power to the army and not army deployment in itself.
About Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs, the election commissioner said the old ones have been out of operation, for which they have been said to be abandoned.
“But we have to include EVM in election process in the future,” he said.
However, there is doubt about using EVM in the next general election as the commission don't have and preparation necessary to use EVM, he said.