EC mulls over police deployment for 15 days after election

The election commission has been mulling over the deployment of the police for 15 more days after the voting of the 12th parliamentary election.

Usually, members of law enforcement agencies remain deployed during the national election for a day or two after the voting ends, but this time the commission is thinking of extending this further.

They plan that the law enforcement agencies remain vigilant for 15 days following the election out of ‘necessity’. The commission is mainly planning this in apprehension of post-poll violence.

With the 12th parliamentary election approaching, the commission has readied a checklist on what they would do from November and when they would start acting on the issues. And, law enforcement agencies will remain deployed for 15 days after the completion of voting if there is any such necessity, said the checklist.

Several sources of the election commission confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo.

Usually, police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Ansar forces are deployed to maintain law and order during the national election while armed forces work as a striking force. Police remain deployed two days prior to the polls and two days after the polls. Ansar force remains on duty for five days ahead and after the election, while forces from other agencies are on duty for three to four days.

According to the election commission, this time law enforcement agencies will mainly carry out duties for five days – two days ahead of the polls, the voting day and two days after the polls. Special arrangements will be made this time so that law enforcement agencies remain deployed for the next 15 days since the voting day for the sake of law and order in the election area. The election commission will instruct police and administration on time, as well as oversee the law and order issues for 15 days after the polls. Members of law enforcement agencies will not be deployed everywhere. Special arrangements will be made where the situation is likely to deteriorate.

According to the election commission, the 12th national election is due at the end of December this year or early January next year. There will be a little over 42,000 polling stations in 300 constituencies.

Over 600,000 members of various agencies were deployed during the 11th national election and armed forces were deployed as striking forces. According to the election commission sources, this time more members of law enforcement agencies will be on poll duty than in the previous elections because number of the polling stations will exceed the previous time.

The election commission has yet to finalise the date to announce the schedule, but the commission has fixed the timeline of its activities once the poll schedule is out. Per the commission’s action plan, training of trainers who will train election officials will be held from 31 October to the first week of November. In the meantime, the installation of software for the submission of nomination will be completed.

Orders will be issued on the appointment of executive magistrates the day after the election schedule will be announced to maintain a peaceful law and order situation. Executive magistrates will mainly oversee the electoral code of conduct by the candidates during the submission and scrutinisation of nominations.

The election commission will hold a meeting on law and order issues with law enforcement and intelligence agencies after the deadline to withdraw the nomination. Usually, such meeting is held prior to the polls to evaluate the law and order situation. The election commission plans to hold another such meeting before the 12th parliamentary election.

Election commission secretariat additional secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told Prothom Alo various organisations have been informing the commission about their concern about the law and order situation during the election. The lawsallow deployment of law enforcement agencies for the next 15 days since the voting day, and action will be taken after considering the situation during election, he added.