Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury on Thursday said the Armed Forces will act only when police, Rab and BGB members fail to control any untoward situation during the election.
“Members of the Police, Rab and BGB are out there in the field to maintain the law and order. The Armed Forces will go to intervene in those places where police, Rab and BGB members will fail. The Armed Forces are our last resort,” he said replying to a question from a reporter that the Armed Forces do not play any role in curbing election violence.
The Election Commissioner said this while visiting the control room set up at Nirbachan Bhaban to monitor the countrywide election slated for December 30.He said the Armed Forces have not been deployed on election duty as a striking force. “They’ll act if other law enforcement agencies fail to bring the situation under control.”
Shahadat said the Armed Forces will work in line with articles 127-132 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898.The situation is fully under the control of the Election Commission, he said adding that more than five lakh law enforcers have been deployed across the country.
About the writ petition filed with the High Court challenging the candidatures of 22 Jamaat men running with BNP electoral symbol ‘Paddy Sheaf’, the Commissioner said the EC will have to follow the court order.About the control room, he said the Commission will monitor the electoral situation of 299 constituencies from the room and issue directives in case of any untoward situation.
Shahadat Hossain said the Commission has already sent all the required electronic voting machines (EVMs) to the relevant six constituencies for arranging the balloting through the machines instead of the traditional ballot papers.
source: UNB
