Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda addressing judicial magistrates, to be put on election duty during the 11th parliamentary polls, at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city on Wednesday — Focus Bangla The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said on Wednesday the Election Commission (EC) felt embarrassed at an attack on BNP secretary general's motorcade as election campaigning got underway across the country on Tuesday.
The motorcade of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came under attack during campaigning in Thakurgaon on Tuesday.
"The upcoming 11th parliamentary election will be tough and competitive. You (judicial magistrates) should be careful so that the competitiveness does not turn violent," KM Nurul Huda added.
He made the remarks while giving directives to the judicial magistrates at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital's Agargaon administrative area.
The CEC directed them to monitor the upcoming general election slated for December 30 carefully by implementing the powers vested in them.
Urging all political parties to show restraints, he said, "Please don't try to hamper electoral campaign of others. Be tolerant to each other."
Mr Huda said human lives are more valuable than votes. "So, the use of violence and loss of lives during electioneering cannot be accepted."
Mr Huda will brief a total of 640 judicial magistrates. A total of 215 judicial magistrates participated in the first day's briefing.
They will stay at the field level for three days (December 29, 30 and 31).
EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmad presided over the event.
Election commissioners Mahbub Talukder, Md Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain, among others, were present.
Meanwhile, the EC said the army would remain deployed from December 24 to January1 as a striking force across the country, according to TV channels.
UNB adds: The EC will sit in a meeting today (Thursday) with law enforcement agencies and armed forces to finalise security measures for the 11th parliamentary elections.
Top representatives from police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and VDP, intelligences agencies and the Armed Forces Division as well as the 66 returning officers and the superintendents of police (SPs) of all the districts will join the meeting to be held at 10 am at Nirbachan Bhaban.
CEC KM Nurul Huda will chair the meeting. Other election commissioners and EC's top officials will be present.
At the meeting, the EC will finalise the security strategy, particularly for 4-5 days, during the parliamentary elections and fix the number of security men to be deployed at each polling station.
EC officials said around 700 thousand (7 lakh) members of law enforcement agencies, including Ansar men, will be put on the election duty throughout the country.
The armed forces will be there as the striking force for some specific days ahead of the election.
Alongside law enforcers, a large number of judicial magistrates and executive magistrates will conduct drives against the polls violence and violation of the electoral code of conduct.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
