Crack down on illegal firearms

The Election Commission yesterday asked the home ministry to launch a countrywide drive to recover illegal firearms immediately after the 11th parliamentary election schedule is announced. 

The move is aimed at ensuring a congenial atmosphere during the election time.   

At an inter-ministerial meeting on election preparation at the Nirbachon Bhaban, the EC also called upon the home ministry's Public Security Division to arrest criminals, drug addicts and those who might create anarchy ahead of the polls.

The EC made the call a day before Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda and four other commissioners are scheduled to meet President Abdul Hamid at the Bangabhaban.

They are scheduled to discuss with the president the EC's final preparation and announcement of the schedule for the December general election, said sources at the EC Secretariat. 

The meeting will be held at 4:00pm today. 

EC's meeting with the president before announcement of the election schedule is a tradition, the sources added.  

Meanwhile, talking to reporters after the inter-ministerial meeting, EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said the EC would declare the election schedule within the next one week.   

He also said the EC had asked educational institutions to complete all examinations before December 10 as schools and other educational institutions would be used as polling centres, and teachers would work as polling officers.

Wishing anonymity, an official of the primary education ministry said the EC told the meeting that the national election is likely to be held on any date after the middle of December. 

Helaluddin said the commission had asked the Local Government Division to remove all types of banners, festoons and posters related to polls from every constituency within one week of the polls schedule declaration.

Bangladesh Bank and the finance ministry's Banking Division have also been asked to submit the lists of loan defaulters to the returning officers ahead of submission of nomination forms.

The EC secretary said the ministry concerned decided to relax the obligation of submitting Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificates with nomination forms. The candidates who have no TIN certificates would be able to submit their nomination forms.

The public administration ministry has been asked to prepare a list of executive magistrates who will work during the polls, he added.

The EC secretary said the concerned authorities had also been asked to ease the visa processing and other relevant work for the foreign poll observers.

Senior officials of 23 ministries and departments were present at the inter-ministerial meeting.