Former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has advised against deploying the army during the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“The army is not much use during the elections,” he said on Sunday.
He made the remarks during the discussion by the Election Commission where former CECs and election commissioners, based on their experience, expressed their views over the upcoming polls.
“The number of law enforcers deployed during the polls in Bangladesh is unprecedented compared to the rest of the world,” he said.
“I have said it before and I will say it now: It is not needed,” he added.
Saying that deployment of the armed forces is absolutely “unnecessary,” Huda added: “We have seen their activities in the previous elections. I do not think they play any role in conducting the polls.”
The former CE said that 75% of the funds during the elections are spent on the law enforcement.
“We are no longer voting through ballots. There are EVMs now. No one can snatch ballots or cast someone else’s ballots.
“Moreover, the EVMs cannot be operated before the polls start,” he said.
Nurul Huda served as the CEC from February 27, 2017 to February 14, 2022.
Following the dissolution of his Election Commission, Kazi Habibul Awal was sworn in as the new CEC.