Super security

The voters were no ordinary people. More than 60,000 elected public representatives of local government bodies had the suffrage in yesterday's district council polls.

And the deployment of over 45,000 law enforcers to maintain law and order made it one of the most heavily-guarded polls ever held in the country.

Unprecedented security measures were taken in the maiden Zila Parishad elections and its reflection was there at many centres where law enforcers outnumbered voters.

Let's take the example of Sylhet's Modon Mohon College centre. As many as 300 law enforcers, including police, Rab and Ansars, were in and outside the centre to facilitate peaceful casting of votes by 104 voters.

About the deployment of such a huge number of law enforcers at the centre, Sylhet Metropolitan Police's Additional Deputy Commissioner Jedan Al Musa said the arrangement was made so that voters could feel secure to come to the centre.

For just 75 voters at Pabna Zila School centre, more than 100 law enforcers were deployed in the polling station.

Hundreds of supporters of different candidates also gathered in front of the centre around 9:30am.

Harunur Rashid, presiding officer of the centre, told The Daily Star that the number of law enforcers inside the centre was not more than 30, but around 100 more were deployed outside to maintain law and order.

“There is a peaceful atmosphere inside the centre. A good number of law enforcers are deployed outside so that they can keep the situation under control if there's any chaos,” he said.

Siddikur Rahman, additional superintendent of police in Pabna, said, “We stepped up security in the district so that voters can come to the centres freely.”

Some 721 law enforcers, including 446 policemen, 177 Ansar members, 48 Rab men and two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh, were deployed in Natore where the number of voters was only 586 in 11 polling stations.

Sources in the Election Commission said huge security measures were taken because the ruling party dissidents, who defied the high-command decision and challenged the party-backed aspirants, ran for 30 chairman and one-fourth of the member posts.

Rivalry between the AL-backed candidates and the rebels were one of the main reasons for deploying such a big number of law enforcers, said intelligence sources.

Though presiding officers, polling officials, candidates, their agents, law enforcers and media people were present in the polling stations since morning, voters at some polling stations reportedly came at the eleventh hour to cast their votes.

A different picture was seen at Chandpur Sadar Upazila Parishad polling centre. Enamul Huq, presiding officer of the centre, said 88 votes out of 89 were cast by 11:30am but they had to wait for the last one until the end.

According to an EC circular, alongside police, BGB members were deployed in at least 25 districts to maintain law and order. Twenty members of law enforcement agencies and one executive magistrate were deployed in each polling station. Voters were not allowed to enter polling stations with mobile phones or any other electronic device.

A total of 144 BGB platoons were stationed in 25 districts on the voting day. Election officials said there might be 16 to 20 BGB members in a single platoon. Vehicular movement in election areas was suspended from Tuesday midnight.

Contacted, former election commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain said, “I don't know exactly why such a huge number of law enforcers were deployed, as all the elected representatives are voters. It is too many for too little.”