A team of 15-17 security members will be posted at each polling station in the 300 constituencies throughout the country in the 12th parliamentary election slated for January 7.
According to a notification issued by the Election Commission on Thursday, tighter security would be taken for vulnerable polling stations.
There are some 42,000 polling stations throughout the country and a total of 11,96,91,633 voters will have the right to cast their votes in the 12th national polls.
The commission designed separate security plans for the polling stations located outside the metropolitan area and the stations located inside the metropolitan areas.
Outside the metropolitan areas, a team of 15-16 security personnel including two police with arms, one Ansar with arms, one Ansar with arms or sticks, 10 Ansar with sticks, and one or two village police members with sticks will protect each normal polling station.
But in the case of each important polling station (which is considered a vulnerable station), there will be a team of 16-17 security men including three police with arms.
Inside the metropolitan area, a 15-member security team consisting of three police members with arms, one Ansar with arms, another Ansar with arms or sticks, and 10 other Ansar members with sticks will ensure security for each polling station.
But in the case of an important polling station, a 16-member security team will guard it and the number of police members with arms would be four instead of three.
The structure of the security team for special areas – Chittagong Hill Tracts and hard-to-reach areas—would be the same as was taken for other rural places outside the metropolitan areas.
The law enforcement agency members will remain deployed for five days (including traveling time) from two days before the balloting and they will stay there till a day after the voting.
Besides, the members of the BGB, Coast Guard, RAB, Police, and Ansar Battalion will be deployed in the election areas as mobile teams and striking forces. They will be engaged in election duty for 13 days (including their traveling time) from December 29, 2023, to January 10, 2024.
Moreover, a good number of judicial magistrates and executive magistrates are deployed in the election areas to check violations of the election code of conduct.
Out of 44 registered political parties, 27 parties are contesting the election, while BNP and some others are boycotting the polls demanding the election under a neutral government.
A total of 1,895 contenders are running in the parliamentary election. The candidates are now carrying out electioneering and they can continue the electoral campaign till January 5 (8am), 48 hours before the balloting, which will continue from 8am to4 pm without any recess on January 7.
