Cox's Bazar administration marks 90% polling stations as vulnerable
The administration marked the centres as “important” or 'highly important' which is considered as risky or highly risky by stakeholders
The Cox's Bazar administration has identified 90% of 556 polling centres in the district as 'important' or 'highly important', highlighting the vulnerability of the centres.
The list has been made based on complaints filed by candidates and assessment of intelligence or law enforcement agencies, according to Shahin Imran, returning officer and deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar.
The "important" centres are considered risky or vulnerable by stakeholders, meaning, the polling centres are at risk of incidents, such as violence, that violate the electoral code of conduct. The 'highly important' centres are considered as highly risky or highly vulnerable.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
According to Cox's Bazar Election Office data, all of the polling stations located in the Cox's Bazar-2 constituency, comprising Maheshkhali and Kutubdia upazilas, have been marked as vulnerable.
There are 16.50 lakh voters in four constituencies of the coastal district, of them, 3.48 lakh reside in Cox's Bazar-2. The seat has a total of 118 polling stations, with 81 in Maheshkhali and 37 in Kutubdia.
In Cox's Bazar-1, encompassing Chakaria and Pekua upazilas, the voter number stands at 4.86 lakh. The number of polling stations is 158. There are 44 centres in Pekua, of which 22 have been identified as 'highly important' or highly vulnerable, while the remaining 22 have been marked as 'important'.
Besides, there are 114 polling stations in Chakaria upazila. Of these, 96 have been identified as highly vulnerable and 18 as vulnerable.
The Cox's Bazar-3, encompassing Sadar, Ramu and Eidgaon upazilas, constituency has a total of 89,610 voters and 167 polling centres. Of the centres, 90% have been marked as vulnerable.
Meanwhile, there are 26,971 voters in Cox's Bazar-4, encompassing Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas, seat. It has a total of 104 polling centres, of which, 57 has been marked as highly vulnerable and 47 as vulnerable.
With the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls set for tomorrow (7 January), the Election Commission has taken extensive preparation to maintain security centring the polls.
"The ballot papers will be sent to the centres in the morning," Deputy Commissioner Shahin said.
Shahin, also the district returning officer, said there will be a total of 11,071 election officers on duty in 556 centres in the district. The officers have been sent to the polling centres with required equipment on instructions of assistant returning officers
A total of 38 district magistrates are serving in four constituencies of the district.
Also, 5,000 members of law enforcement agencies have been deployed across the district to maintain law and order during the polls, said Cox's Bazar Police Superintendent Md Mahafuzul Islam.
