EC holds closed-door meeting with law enforcement agencies, armed forces on February polls
All four election commissioners are attending the meeting, according to an EC press release.
The Election Commission (EC) is holding a meeting with law enforcement agencies, armed forces this morning (20 October), to ensure that the next national parliamentary election is held in a free and fair manner.
This is the first meeting of the EC led by AMM Nasir Uddin with top law enforcement officials as part of its election preparations, at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka.
All four election commissioners are attending the meeting, according to an EC press release.
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The home ministry's senior secretary, chiefs of the army, navy and air force, principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division, inspector general of police, and heads of Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, Ansar, and VDP, as well as intelligence agencies, had been invited to join the meeting.
The EC secretary will also be present at the meeting.
Journalists were asked to leave the room before it started, and the closed-door discussion is now underway.
The chiefs of the army, navy, and air force did not attend, but their representatives are present.
Home Ministry Senior Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, and representatives from the Armed Forces Division, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Ansar, Village Defence Party (VDP), Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI), National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMCC), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Special Branch, and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are attending.
The discussion focuses on maintaining law and order at polling centres and across electoral areas. The EC plans to hold the 13th national election in the first half of February and announce the schedule in early December.
Officials attending the meeting include Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hasan, Principal Staff Officer; Armed Forces Division, Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim, Representative of the Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali, Representative of the Chief of Naval Staff; Air Vice Marshal Rushad Din Asad, Representative of the Chief of Air Staff; Major General Abu Mohammad Sarwar Farid, Director General, NSI; Major General Jahangir Alam, Director General, DGFI, and Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, Director General, BGB.
Also present are Major General Abdul Motaleb Sajjad Mahmud, Director General, Ansar & VDP Directorate; Rear Admiral Md. Ziaul Haque, Director General, Coast Guard; Major General Abdul Kaiyum Molla, Director General, National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMCC); A K M Shahidur Rahman, Director General, RAB Headquarters; G M Azizur Rahman, Additional Inspector General of Police (Administration & Finance), SB, and Md Shibgat Ullah, Additional Inspector General of Police, CID.
Earlier, the EC held dialogues with civil society and academics on 28 September, media representatives on 6 October, and women leaders and election experts on 7 October.
