EC for detention of terrorists, recovery of illegal arms before UP polls

The Election Commission (EC) has asked the Home Ministry and the law enforcing agencies concerned Wednesday to take immediate measures to detain identified terrorists and recover illegal weapons before upcoming Union Parishad (UP) elections, reports UNB. "Identified terrorists will have to be detained, illegal weapons recovered and also all legal weapons to be deposited with police stations before the elections. We've asked the Home Ministry to take measures in this regard," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr ATM Shamsul Huda said. The CEC was presiding over a high level meeting of the law enforcing agencies at the NEC auditorium. Election commissioners M Sohul Hussain and Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Shikder, inspector general of police, director generals of RAB, Coastguard and Ansar-VDP, divisional commissioners, DIGs of police, concerned DCs, SPs, UNOs and election officers attended the meeting. According to the election schedule, the upcoming second phase elections to 3825 UPs will be held between May 31 and July 5 in 57 districts. Talking to reporters after the meeting the CEC said the executive or judicial magistrates who will be deployed during the elections have been empowered to take instant action when they find any violation of election code of conduct or rules in the election areas. About the election results, the CEC said all polling centres will be kept secured at the time of vote counting and the law enforcing agencies will be deployed and they may be able to enter the polling centres if necessary to keep the centres secured at the time of announcing election results.