Voting for the 13th parliamentary election in the Dhaka-20 (Dhamrai) constituency will be held at 147 polling centres, of which 13 have been identified as risky. The authorities concerned are preparing to deploy additional security forces at these risky centres.
Assistant Returning Officer and Dhamrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Khan Mohammad Salman Habib confirmed the information to Dhaka Tribune.
According to the Upazila Election Commission office, the Dhaka-20 constituency (seat no. 193) has a total of 710 polling booths across 147 centres. The constituency comprises 16 unions and one municipality.
There are 376,639 registered voters in the constituency, including 187,835 men and 188,802 women.
Administrative sources said the 13 high-risk polling centres include Char Chauhat Government Primary School, Haluyapara Government Primary School, Kantahati Government Primary School, Gangutia Government Primary School, Bhalum Government Primary School, Baratya Alhaj Maulana Yasin Pre-Cadet Dakhil Madrasa, Goaldi Government Primary School, Sharifbag Government Primary School, Sharifbag Islamia Kamil Madrasa, Khatra Government Primary School and Faringa Government Primary School.
Dhamrai Upazila Election Officer Md SM Sadikur Rahman said the centres were classified as high-risk based on past incidents of political violence, the presence of local influential groups and attempts to seize control of polling centres during previous elections.
He added that adequate law enforcement measures have been put in place at the identified centres to ensure uninterrupted voting.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dhamrai Police Station Md. Nazmul Huda Khan said the high-risk centres have already been identified and will have sufficient deployment of police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh and the army. “We are hopeful that voting will be conducted peacefully at these centres,” he said.
UNO and Assistant Returning Officer Khan Mohammad Salman Habib said the election would be held in a fair and festive atmosphere. “Sufficient law enforcement personnel will be deployed, and anyone attempting to disrupt the election will be dealt with according to the law. Closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at every polling centre. We are working round the clock to ensure peaceful voting and expect the election in Dhamrai to be conducted smoothly,” he said.
