EC doesn’t want to see mobs anymore, nor police being humiliated on streets: Sanaullah

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah has issued a stern warning against violence surrounding electoral activities, stating that the Election Commission (EC) will no longer tolerate "mob culture" or the public humiliation of law enforcement officers.

Speaking at a briefing on election management involving 226 senior field-level officials, including Divisional Commissioners, DCs, and SPs, Sanaullah emphasised that the EC stands firmly behind the police. 

"We do not want to see any more vandalism or mob. It is impossible to tolerate a single police member being insulted," he said.

The election commissioner announced that a nationwide joint operation involving the armed forces and law enforcement agencies is set to begin immediately. 

The primary objectives of this mission are the recovery of illegal firearms and the arrest of criminals in order to create a peaceful environment for voters and candidates alike. Sanaullah noted that army presence will be scaled up significantly, with plans to increase the number of deployed personnel to 100,000. He also stressed swift legal action, arguing that immediate, short-term sentences for electoral crimes have a much more powerful deterrent effect than longer sentences handed down years after the voting has concluded.

Also present at the event, Election Commissioner Tahmida Ahmad said the nation is "burdened by a history of abnormal elections" and that failing to deliver a peaceful, transparent vote this time would threaten the country's very existence.

The briefing follows recent unrest linked to the killing of Osman Hadi, an incident the EC cited as a reason for heightened security measures and vigilance to prevent similar tragedies.