Election admin takes the helm, tightening grip on the field

Highlights

• Keeping law and order is top priority of poll administration
• 229 platoons of BGB and 460 RAB patrol teams are deployed 
• Ministries are legally bound to extend any support to the EC 
• DCs, UNOs, police held meetings on Thursday

Field-level polling administration is now in charge of arranging the election chessboard with a clear focus on keeping the situation congenial for the election and countering any efforts to obstruct the polls.

The commission on Wednesday designated 64 DCs and two divisional commissioners as returning officers (RO), along with 495 upazila nirbahi officers as assistant returning officers (ARO), for the upcoming 12th national parliamentary elections. 

These government officials, who led the government's field-level administration, are now under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission after their appointment as election officials and are legally bound to follow the commission's order.

Keeping the law and order situation under control will be the top priority of the poll administration, who on their first day on the job, held meetings, according to a number of ROs contacted by The Business Standard.

They also said they were preparing action plans to beef up vigilance on local opposition leaders and activists ahead of the polls scheduled on 7 January. 

The ministries at the centre are also legally bound to extend any support to the EC if it seeks to hold the polls. 

The government will continue to do its routine work till the national election and no policy decision will be taken during this time, Law Minister Anisul Huq said on Thursday. 

The commission will oversee all electoral tasks while the government will support the commission in fulfilling its electoral responsibilities, he told the media. 

The secretariat, the administrative hub of the government, was marked with lower-than-usual activities on Thursday.

TBS visited six ministries including finance, commerce, agriculture and shipping, but found only one minister and a state minister in their offices. 

"Usually, there is less workload for us in office when we do only routine work," said an official at the jute and textile ministry, where the minister appeared for a while.

Districts tightening security 

Md Majharul Islam, UNO of Savar, appointed as the ARO for the Dhaka-19 constitution, said he held a meeting this morning with all concerned officials about preparing poll activities, adding that law enforcement agencies are already on high alert.

He said they were further tightening security in the area.

Saiful Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Bogura, reported that following the schedule announcement, the district faced a slight deterioration in the law and order situation yesterday evening. 

However, he assured that he is now on high alert, and the situation seems to be stabilising, he said. "Currently, four executive magistrates, four BGB platoons, two RAB platoons, and four police teams are collaboratively patrolling Bogura 24/7."

Additionally, members of the district and police stations are actively working to maintain normalcy in the law and order situation.

Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Golam Mawla said law enforcement personnel were conducting round-the-clock patrols, with an ample deployment of RAB, BGB, Police, and Ansar personnel. 

"There is no need for people to fear as the government is consistently working to safeguard lives and property," he added. 

Cumilla Additional Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Barua mentioned that election preparations were being finalised in the district. "Nine BGB platoons, 427 policemen, and six RAB teams are actively engaged, along with 44 executive magistrates in the field."

Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Shahgir Alam said all necessary arrangements were underway for the elections, with public notices already issued and instructions given for the removal of campaign materials. 

"Over 500 police personnel have been deployed in Brahmanbaria since yesterday, with three platoons of BGB also in deployment for security measures," he said.

A total of 229 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 460 Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) patrol teams have been deployed across the country.

An adequate number of BGB platoons have been deployed around garment factories in Dhaka and adjacent areas, said BGB Headquarters Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam.

Meanwhile, 160 patrol teams of RAB are deployed in the capital, RAB Legal and Media Wing Senior Assistant Director ANM Emran Khan said.