Officials asked to take steps to hold free, fair JS polls

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RANGPUR, Dec 6 (UNB/BSS): Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed Saturday asked field-level government officials to take all necessary legal measures to hold free and transparent national polls on December 29 for building a corruption and terrorism-free country.
"Take a vow to present the nation an acceptable general polls wherein people's expectations would be properly reflected," said the CA, whose interim regime has conducted a purge against the twin-vices (corruption and terrorism) with an avowed objective of making a fresh start with a clean slate.
The head of the caretaker government made the directive while speaking at a views exchanging meeting with the government officials of Rajshahi division at the RDRS auditorium in Rangpur Saturday ahead of the ninth parliamentary elections, earlier stalled in January last year amid a crisis over the election issues.
It was the second meeting after the first one held in Khulna city on December 1 as part of the gearing up of the administration for the crucial polls.
Adviser for Home Affairs Major Gen (retd) MA Matin, Adviser for Education Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz, Home Secretary Abdul Karim and Education Secretary Momatazul Islam also spoke, among others, in the meeting.
Rajshahi Divisional Commi-ssioner Mohammad Hafizur Rahman gave the address of welcome.
A number of UNOs, SPs and DCs and the DIG of Rajshahi range also took part in the opinion-sharing meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fakhruddin called upon the government officials to discharge their responsibilities with utmost honesty and sincerity rising above all sorts of fear, greed and influences for holding a free, fair and credible polls.
He also directed them to take measures so that the voters could cast their votes without fear in the upcoming general and upazila polls.
The CA instructed the officials to take proper steps to ensure that the counting of votes and announcement of results could be made maintaining accountability and credibility.
He said the present government is determined to hold a peaceful election free from terrorism, anarchy, influence of black money and muscle power.
In this connection, the Chief Adviser directed the members of law enforcing agencies to take all necessary measures and strictly follow the rules for preventing any attempt, which might hinder the process towards holding the upcoming election in a credible manner.
Sounding a note of caution, he told officials concerned and members of law enforcing agencies that any negligence in discharging their duties would not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the CA said the government has attached utmost importance to the socio-economic development of the country's northern region apart from expanding education.
Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said this while laying the foundation stone of a permanent campus of the Rangpur University adjacent to Rangpur Carmaichael College.
Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman also spoke at the function with Vice Chancellor of the university Prof Dr M Lutfar Rahman in the chair.