The Election Commission (EC) is planning to deploy the Army across the country after December 16, EC officials disclosed. The EC has already decided to deploy the Army across the country before the next general elections, scheduled to be held on January 5, for ensuring free and fair elections. The EC held a meeting with the law enforcement agencies on Thursday, where the issue of deploying the Army was discussed in detail, sources who attended the meeting said. They added that the EC will hold a meeting with the returning officers on December 13 and the deployment strategy would be finalised after that. It has been learnt that the deployment strategy will be the same as it was during the 2008 elections.
After the meeting, chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said the Army is ready to cooperate with the EC as and when necessary.
“I was told on behalf of the Army that it is ready to provide support to the Election Commission as and when required,” he told reporters at the EC secretariat. Replying to a query, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said no decision has been taken yet as to when the army will be deployed. “It will be decided after a meeting with returning officers,” he said.
On holding an inclusive election, the CEC said, “I haven’t yet given up hope of an understanding being reached among political parties. The election will be an inclusive one if they could reach a compromise.”
Inspector general of police Hassan Mahmood Khandker, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) director general Mukhlesur Rahman, top officials of the law enforcement agencies, representatives of the armed forces and others were present at the meeting.
In the wake of the sporadic violence countrywide amid the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance’s rail-road-waterways blockade programme, the armed forces are likely to be deployed across the country anytime to curb violence.
Election commissioner Brig. Gen. (retd) Zabed Ali said on Tuesday that the deployment of the Army would be prolonged if the situation so demands.
-With The Independent input
