Army in city polls: EC undecided

After several rounds of talks, the Election Commission is yet to decide about deploying army in the ensuing polls to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations.

The chief election commissioner (CEC) and four commissioners have held informal meetings on the issue but failed to reach a consensus, concerned officials said, but were not willing to be named.

EC Secretary Sirazul Islam on Monday told reporters that the matter was “under consideration”. 

“No decision has been reached,” he said after a daylong flurry of activities at the EC.

The BNP and some other quarters claim the Apr 28 polls will be rigged if the army is not called out but para-military forces say they are good enough to handle the situation.

In 2011, the EC’s request for army deployment at the Narayanganj City polls went unanswered.

It claims a definite decision could not be taken as the prime minister was abroad.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is on a visit to Indonesia since Tuesday and will return on Apr 23.

CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad was closeted in discussions with the commissioners on Monday, a day after meeting the security forces, said a top source. 

EC officials say decisions are taken on majority basis in the five-member commission. The CEC settles the issue if the four commissioners are evenly divided on an issue.

A commissioner insisted in a response to bdnews24.com that army was never deployed in Bangladesh’s city polls. 

“Let’s see, what decision we reach,” he said but declined to be named.