Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society platform working for good governance, yesterday urged the Election Commission (EC) to be more stringent to check violation of electoral rules and violence ahead of city corporation polls.
The organisation also called upon the EC to deploy army few days before the elections to maintain law and order during the polls to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.
“Precautionary measures should be taken to ensure peaceful voting environment and check occupation of polling centres and hijacking of ballot papers and ballot boxes”, Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said while addressing a press conference at Chittagong Press Club this morning.
“Army should be deployed few days before the election, if necessary”, Majumder said adding that the EC will also have to take necessary steps to ensure that all participants maintain discipline during the city corporation polls.
Replying to a query of journalists, Majumder said the incidents of vote rigging, ballot box and ballot paper hijacking, violence and killing occurred during the Upazila Parishad elections.
“Now the EC has to decide whether they can control it without deploying army”, he said.
The Sujan secretary also urged the cabinet ministers and members of parliament to stay away from exercising political influence by using the government machinery.
