"Elections are sometimes turbulent": Bangladesh CEC on deployment of law enforcement agencies

DHAKA: On the deployment of law-enforcement agencies in Bangladesh ahead of general elections, the country's Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habib-ul Awal has said that the elections are not always peaceful and sometimes become turbulent, which is why the forces are deployed to maintain law and order.

He said that the security arrangements are made and the polling stations are also set, with all materials in place at the polling stations.

"It is a great desire of the people of Bangladesh that voters will be able to peacefully cast votes but as you might know, elections are sometimes turbulent..it is not always as peaceful...at times serene atmosphere is not there. Sometimes the supporters of the candidates, also meet each other, and sometimes there may be exuberance of emotions," the Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh said in a press conference on Saturday.

"As a result of that, we have engaged a lot of law-enforcing agency people, who will be maintaining law and order. And, polling stations are all set, all materials have been sent to polling stations," he said.

The CEC underlined that the elections will be held in about 62,000 polling stations, and the polling stations will consist of a total of 2 lakh sixty-two thousand polling booths.

Addressing the press conference ahead of the 12th Parliamentary elections, he said, "Elections are going to be held tomorrow. I need to tell you that elections will be held only in a day that is tomorrow, in about 62000 polling stations and the polling stations will consist of a total of 2 lakh sixty-two thousand polling booths. Our number of voters is 12 crores, I mean 120 million."

"Tomorrow, right at 8 am, polling will commence, and that will continue without any interruption till 4 o'clock in the afternoon. But I need to tell you, that polling may not close right at 4 o'clock...because the law says that if the voters are still around waiting to cast votes, they will be allowed entrance, and that may take, an hour or a couple of hours more," he added.

The CEC of Bangladesh has said that Bangladesh wants its election to be observed not only nationally, but also internationally.

"We believe in a credible election, in participation and in the fairness and acceptability of results of the election. As a result of that, we want our election to be observed not only nationally, as well as internationally," the CEC said.

Notably, a total of 128 election observers have been accredited to observe the elections. Teams from 05 International election observing bodies have also arrived in Dhaka to observe the elections.

Over 20,000 local election observers have also been accredited so far. A total of 76 foreign journalists have also been accredited to cover the elections, besides hundreds of local journalists.

The current election commission is the first election commission in the history of Bangladesh to be formed as per the relevant Act which is the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Appointment Act, 2022.