EC to probe Rohingyas on voter lists

The Election Commission has decided to re-examine the voter lists of eight bordering upazilas of Bandarban and Cox's Bazar to find out if Rohingyas were included in the electoral roll.
Kamrul Hasan, acting district election officer of Bandarban, told this correspondent they had been directed to update the voter list before December 31.
A letter issued by EC in this regard directed the authorities concerned to re-examine the voter lists of Sadar upazila, Lama, Alikadam and Naikhongchhari upazilas of Bandarban and Sadar upazila, Ramu, Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar.
Upazila level committees headed by respective Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) will oversee the voter list updating work, an EC official informed The Daily Star.
The committees will include assistant commissioner (Land), officer-in-charge, upazila Ansar-VDP officer, representatives of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Rifle, Director General of Forces Intelligence, National Security Intelligence, District Special Branch and Union Parishad chairman.
The Upazila election officer will be made member-secretary of the committee.
In addition, the EC suggests inclusion of a representative of Bandarban Hill District Council, one headman (mouza chief) and one Karbari (village chief) for each upazila committee of Bandarban.
According to the Bandarban district election office, the formation of upazila committees is going on.
Hundreds of Rohingyas from Myanmar are alleged to have been included in the voter lists in Bandarban and Cox's Bazar with the help of election officials and local public representatives.
Locals assaulted Acting District Election Officer Kamrul Hasan at Alikadan during the voter list updating last month for his alleged involvement in putting Rohingyas on the electoral roll.
The district election office, however, said a total of 8408 voters were included during the voter list updating in seven upazilas of Bandarban.
Of them, 2,182 voters were enrolled in Sadar upazila, 2,039 in Lama, 1,666 in Naikhongchhari and 1,145 in Alikadam upazila.