Law enforcement and intelligence agencies have informed the Election Commission that the overall situation at present is congenial and there is no major obstacle to holding the upcoming 12th National Parliamentary election.
Meanwhile, the EC said that it would announce the election schedule in the first half of November.
“According to the reports of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the overall situation in the country is peaceful. They informed the commission that there is no big hurdle to conducting the next general election”, EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam told reporters after a meeting with the chiefs of law enforcement and intelligence agencies at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital on Monday.
He said the EC will announce the poll schedule in the first half of November.
“A major political party has announced blockade programmes again immediately after its hartal programme. The law enforcers will remain vigilant in ensuring law and order during the BNP's political programmes,” the secretary said.
“The meeting discussed that the law enforcement agencies will
ensure law and order before, during and after the election,” he added.
“During the meeting, the chiefs of different law enforcement agencies described their capabilities in the light of the past experience they had. They also mentioned how they would fulfil their responsibilities if they were given election duties. The Election Commission heard their statements and gave some instructions too,” Jahangir Alam said.
The law enforcers and intelligence personnel have assured the Election Commission that they will perform their duties properly in the light of the instructions of the commission.
“They will also immediately inform the commission if any adverse situation arises during the election,” he said adding that the Election Commission will sit with them and decide the next course of action after announcement of the polls schedule.
About the ballot paper, the secretary said, “No decision has yet been taken whether the ballot papers will be sent to the centre on the night before the polls or on the morning of the polls.”
“There is a lot of time. There will be more meetings about this. Later the decision will be taken depending on the law and order situation,” the EC secretary said.
Chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal, Election Commissioner, EC Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam, Senior Secretary of Public Security Department Mostafizur Rahman, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, Director General of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Major General TM Zobair, Director General of Ansar and VDP Major General AKM Aminul Haque, Director General of BGB Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan, Special Branch of Police ( SB) Chief Md. Monirul Islam, Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) M Khurshid Hossain and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division and representatives from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard, among others, were present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, EC officials said the EC has already completed major tasks including updating voter list and re-fix of parliamentary delimitation ahead of the next general polls, amendments of the Representative of People Order (RPO) and the election related laws.
Setting up the polling centres is also in the final stages. A draft list of 42,380 polling centres has been drafted. The final list of the polling centres will be published as a gazette when the polls election schedule is announced.
The commission has also given registration to two new political parties ahead of the election. A total of 66 local organisations have been registered as election observers.
