Dhaka police say most of the 2,000 voting centres in capital ‘risky’

Police say three-fourths of nearly 2,000 voting centres in Dhaka are what they describe as ‘important’, an euphemism for trouble-prone stations.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 April 2015, 03:57 PM
Updated : 26 April 2015, 06:17 AM

Being classified so means these polling stations will require stronger surveillance.

Motorbikes have been banned from Saturday midnight as 4.3 million people vote on April 28 to choose mayors for Dhaka North and South cities. The ban will continue until Apr 29 morning, police said.

No one can even carry their licensed guns for a week starting Saturday.

Of the 1,982 polling facilities, 1,429 are “important”, said DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah.

The official did not provide the list of the ‘important’ centres and refused to call them ‘risky’ – the usual term for such polling centres.

The DMP chief said a security blanket has been thrown around the city ahead of the vote.

RAB, Border Guard Bangladesh and Ansars will work alongside police for five days to the polls.
 
Police will have close circuit TV cameras in key spots, and set up control centres in four places. 
 
In addition to the permanent Shahbagh post, locations for the four temporary control rooms will be Gulshan, Tejgaon thana, Mirpur and Abdul Gani Road.

Movement of any sort of unauthorised vehicle is banned on the voting day.
 
Only vehicles of polling agents, monitors, journalists, ambulances, Fire Service and poll related people are exempted from the purview of the ban.
 
On the voting day, 23 mobile courts led by a magistrate would be in the city, the DMP chief said.
 
Outsiders would not be allowed in the capital after Saturday night, he said.

Voting will start at 8am and end at 4pm. No campaign will be allowed after Sundaymidnight.