Election Commissioner Md Shahnewaz on Tuesday said he was satisfied with the country’s law and order situation and ruled out army deployment during the four upcoming city corporations.
“The members of the regular forces (BGB, RAB and police) have been discharging their duties in the local elections. They are enough to maintain law and order. So, there will be no need to call the army during the elections,” he told reporters after a meeting with the Home Secretary and other senior officials at the EC Secretariat.
Mayoral elections in four city corporations – Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet – will be held on June 15.
The last elections to those four city corporation bodies were held on Aug 8 in 2008 when an army-backed caretaker government was in charge.
The Opposition BNP has demanded army presence in all the city corporation polls to ensure free and fair voting.
The main opposition is also actively backing its favoured candidates in the upcoming city corporation elections and the mayoral candidates geared up their formal campaign on Tuesday.
Election Commissioner Shahnewaz said, “The leaders of the political parties are taking part in the local government election, there is no scope of a party-based election. The central leaders can go to the electoral areas, but they aren’t allowed to hold any meeting or take part in the election campaign.”
“The Returning Officer will take action if anyone (central party leader) violates the electoral code of conduct by issuing political statements.”
Source: bd news24
