Environment is definitely conducive for elections: EC secretary

Although there are concerns regarding holding the 13th parliamentary elections in February considering the current law and order situation, the election commission (EC) has no doubt about it.

EC secretary Akhter Ahmed on Monday said that the environment is definitely conducive for elections.

He made the remark while speaking to newspersons following a meeting with the law enforcement agencies today.

A pre-preparatory meeting and exchange of views on law and order for the 13th national parliamentary election was held at the election commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The meeting was attended by senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Ghani, principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hasan, and officials from the army, navy, air force, and other law enforcement agencies.

Asked whether anybody raised any concerns in the meeting, the senior secretary said that none of the officials from the law enforcement agencies showed any concern during the meeting. Rather, they all are committed to holding a free, fair and participatory election this time.

The interim government is expecting to see further improvement in law and order ahead of the polls. To ensure that, such meetings will continue to be held, said the EC secretary.

The EC started preparing for the election following the chief adviser’s announcement to hold the polls by February.

However, different quarters expressed doubts regarding the electoral environment, law and order and the police’s ability to ensure the law and order situation conducive for a free and fair balloting.

Apart from these, the National Citizen Party (NCP) raised questions about the ECs will to hold a free and fair election.

In this context, the election commission held a meeting today on law and order.

Senior secretary Akhter Ahmed, speaking at a press briefing after the meeting, said 13 issues were discussed. These included maintaining law and order at polling centres and election areas, coordinating the activities of law enforcement agencies, ensuring communal harmony and the security of minorities, controlling illegal arms, preventing false information using artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring the safety of foreign journalists and observers, managing postal voting, planning the deployment of armed forces, transporting election materials in hill districts, providing helicopter support, and enhancing coordination among intelligence agencies.

The EC secretary further said a proposal has been made to keep law enforcement agencies in the field for eight days instead of five—three days before the election, on election day, and the following four days.

He added that the matter will be verified.

Speaking on the use of AI technology, the EC secretary said that during the recent Durga Puja, NTMC technology was successfully used to monitor more than 35,000 pandals, and this experience could be applied in the elections.

The EC secretary said that in the meeting, it was discussed that the army, navy, and air force would provide support in transporting election materials and in difficult-to-reach areas. Discussions are ongoing on whether the army will serve in the election areas as ‘in aid to civil power’.

The meeting was informed that all forces have begun their own training programmes to enhance efficiency and coordination in performing election duties. Modern monitoring systems, including body-worn cameras and drones, will also be used to strengthen election oversight.

The police inspector general said that 150,000 police personnel will be deployed for the elections. The largest contingent will be 550,000 to 600,000 members of Ansar and VDP, while 90,000 to 100,000 army personnel will also be deployed.

On the law enforcement agencies’ budget, the EC secretary said that it has not yet been finalised, but each agency will submit proposals covering training and logistics costs. The budget will be finalised through step-by-step discussions.

The EC secretary also said that it was decided in the meeting that political parties or candidates will not be allowed to use drones in election campaigns. However, law enforcement agencies may use drones if necessary.

When asked about the looted weapons, EC secretary Akhter Ahmed said that the meeting was informed that 85 per cent of the looted weapons have been recovered, and work is ongoing to recover the rest.

Akhter Ahmed said in conclusion that today’s meeting was preparatory and not a final decision. Discussions will continue sequentially, with the aim of ensuring a free, fair, and participatory election.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the service chiefs: Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim for the army chief, Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali for the navy chief, and Air Vice Marshal Rushad Din Asad for the air force chief.

Also present were Major General Abu Mohammad Sarwar Farid, director general of the National Security Intelligence (NSI), and Major General Jahangir Alam, director general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).

Other attendees included inspector general of police (IGP) Baharul Alam, Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh Major General Mohammad Ashrafuluz Zaman Siddiqui, Director General of Ansar and VDP Major General Abdul Motaleb Sajjad Mahmud, Director General of Bangladesh Coast Guard Rear Admiral Md Ziaul Haque, Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) Major General Abdul Kaiyum Molla, Director General of RAB Headquarters AKM Shahidur Rahman, Additional IGP of police's Special Branch GM Azizur Rahman, and Additional IGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Md Sibgat Ullah.