Army will not be deployed in CCC polls: EC

Election commissioner Mohammad Rafiqul Islam on Friday said members of the armed forces will not be deployed in the forthcoming election to Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), reports BSS.

But, the unarmed members of army will remain present in the polling centres to assist the EVM technology so that no one misses his vote.

Rafiqul Islam also said that armed forces members will only look after the technical matters of the polls.

He said the EC is trying its level best to maintain the peaceful environment in the polling centres.

The election commissioner told these while replying to questions of journalists at the end of the election preparatory meeting held in Chattogram Zonal Election Office Friday morning.

Rafiqul Islam informed that there is no scope of deferring the election date because HSC exams will begin from 1 April next.

Moreover, it is unthinkable to hold election in the rainy season in the port city.

About questions of deployment of armed forces, the EC said there are no provisions of deploying armed forces in local body elections, but the presence of armed forces without arms in forthcoming CCC polls will be ensured only to look after the technical matters of EVM.

Zonal election officer (EO) Md. Hasanuzzaman, district EO Monir Hossain Khan, additional zonal EO Md. Ataur Rahman, Rangamati district EO Shafiqur Rahman, Cox’s Bazar district EO SM Shahdat Hossain, Khagrachari district EO Raju Ahmed, and Commilla district EO Jahangir Hossain, among others, were present at the meeting.