Safe environment exists in country for holding national elections: EC Secretary

NN ONLINE:

Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed today said a safe environment exists in the country for holding the national elections slated for February next. “The commission has held detailed discussions with top law enforcement officials to further consolidate this environment. The main objective of the discussions was to ensure security, transparency, and a fair environment for the election,” he said after a meeting with top law enforcement officials at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon.

Replying to a query, Akhtar Ahmed said, “The environment for holding elections in the country is already fair and conducive. The process, including today’s discussions, will continue to strengthen it further.” Regarding the deployment of law enforcement personnel during the upcoming election, the secretary said the initial plan was to deploy them for five days during the election period. However, during the discussion, a proposal was made to keep the law enforcement forces on the ground for three days before the elections, on the polling day, and four days after the elections, he said, adding that the final decision will be made after further review.

The secretary said around 150,000 police personnel will be deployed during the election period. The army will deploy 90,000 to 100,000 members, while the Ansar force will deploy about 550,000 to 600,000 members. All the forces concerned will ensure election security to the best of their ability, he added.

On the recovery of illegal weapons, the secretary said law enforcement agencies have already recovered about 85 percent of them. Efforts to recover the remaining weapons and ammunition are underway and will be completed before the elections, he added.