Law enforcement agencies have been asked not to “do excess” during the parliamentary election scheduled on January 5, in the interest of creating a peaceful environment so that the voters could cast their votes smoothly.
Law enforcers would act judiciously during the election time, avoiding any kind of violence, a high official at the home ministry said.
The home ministry yesterday held a meeting on maintaining law and order during the election. Home ministry Senior Secretary CQK Mustaq Ahmed presided over the meeting.
“We have given directives to the law enforcement agencies so that they do not do any excess during the elections,” Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune at his office yesterday.
Among others, home ministry’s Additional Secretary (political) Kamal Uddin Ahmed, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Director General Moklesur Rahman and representatives from police and BGB were present.
Officials said the agencies, however, would take adequate measures so that the voters can come to the voting centres and cast their votes.
Law enforcement officials at the meeting warned that there may be outbreaks of violence in the 154 constituencies where candidates were elected unopposed.
As the BNP-led 18-party alliance was boycotting the elections, demanding restoration of the caretaker government system, the law enforcement agencies would not neglect the areas where the election would not take place, a senior official said.
Meanwhile, the home ministry sent a draft proposal for vetting to the Election Commission about the deployment of law enforcement during the election-day.
“We have no plans to conduct special drives to recover illegal arms,” a high official told this correspondent preferring not to be named.
The official, however, said a combing operation was going on and if there were illegal arms they would be seized. “Where is the additional manpower to recover illegal arms?” the official asked.
Officials said BGB and Rab would work as a striking force.
On December 20, the Election Commission at a meeting decided to deploy the army as an aid to the civil authorities for 15 days from December 26 to January 9 to maintain law and order during the election.