An official oversees as cartons of ballot papers are unloaded from a vehicle at the Zia Hall at Chashara in Narayanganj on Friday.— Sony Ramany Ivy, Taimur smell rat, demand immediate deployment of army
Staff Correspondent
No troops have yet been deployed for the Narayanganj City Corporation polls, scheduled for Sunday, because of the ‘non-cooperation’ of the government.
The chief election commissioner, ATM Shamsul Huda, at a briefing at the Election Commission on Friday said, ‘In order to hold free and fair elections to the city corporation, we had a plan under which army troops were supposed to be deployed there on Friday but no troops were deployed yet presumably because of the non-cooperation of the government.’
He said that the commission on October 16 had decided to deploy troops and sent a letter the same day to
the principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division asking for four companies of troops for the city polls.
‘We have received no reply from the army till 5:00pm today [Friday]. We may assume that the government has issued no order for army deployment and also presume that the army is not coming,’ Shamsul told reporters after a four-hour emergency meeting of the commission.
Four companies of troops were originally scheduled to be stationed in Narayanganj at 6:00am on Friday as ‘striking and mobile force.’
The returning officer for the NCC polls, mayoral candidates but for the ruling Awami League-backed Shamim Osman expressed concerns about the non-deployment of the army.
The returning officer, Biswas Lutfor Rahman, told reporters Friday noon, ‘I am deeply concerned about the delay in army deployment.’
Two out of three heavyweight candidates — Awami League leader Selina Hayat Ivy and Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed Taimur Alam Khandoker — smelt a rat in the commission’s failure to deploy the army and termed it a ‘conspiracy’ to influence the elections.
They demanded an immediate deployment of troops to ensure free and fair polls.
Supporters of Taimur took to the streets in Narayanganj demanding an immediate deployment of troops.
The police dispersed a procession of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the BNP-backed student organisation, by charging at the activists with truncheons when they tried to go on demonstrations on Bangabandhu Road at 7:00pm in protest at the commission’s announcement of not deploying troops.
The BNP vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman at a briefing at the party’s central office in Dhaka in the evening said the party would make a decision today regarding the elections if the troops were not deployed by this morning.
The Election Commission considers the non-deployment of army to be a violation of the constitution.
‘It was a constitutional obligation for the government to deploy troops as we asked for it,’ Shamsul said. ‘We do not have any liability in this regard. We took steps and send requisition, but the government paid no heed to it. I do not know whether this is the government’s negligence but it has given no reply to our letter.’
After failing to get any positive response regarding troops deployment, the commission had thought about two alternatives — to suspend the elections or to proceed with the elections considering the absence of the army, he added.
He also said that according to the law, elections to the city corporations need to be held in 180 days after the formation of the corporation and the time limit ends on November 2.
‘We have informed the Rapid Action Battalion director general and the home ministry and they have confirmed that a 100-member additional force would be sent tomorrow [Saturday],’ he added.
Regarding Shamim Osman’s apprehension of terrorist attack, the CEC said the candidate had sent a letter and also filed a general diary in this regard.
‘We have asked the home ministry to investigate the matter and to report to us in seven days. If the allegation is proved wrong, action will be taken against him in accordance with the rules, he said. ‘His candidature may be cancelled even if he is elected.’
By-elections to the Habiganj 1 constituency and the Brahmanbaria 3 constituency were held on January 27 without the deployment of troops although both the Election Commission and the BNP had so demanded.
Just a day before the polls, election commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain in the presence of another election commissioner, M Sakhawat Hussain, told the media that that the army might be deployed at night, a couple of hours before the polls would begin. But no troops were deployed.
Source: newagebd.com/newspaper1
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