EC plans to deploy troops as strike force for 10 days

The Election Commission plans to mobilise the army for 10 days during parliamentary elections.

The troops will be deployed from Dec 24 to Jan 2 as a strike force for the Dec 30 vote, according to the plan revealed by EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed on Thursday.

The BNP’s Jatiya Oikya Front alliance had demanded the deployment of the army with magisterial powers.

The demand fell flat as Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, while announcing the election schedule, had revealed his plan not to change the army’s role in elections.

The army will be deployed under what is known as the Aid to Civil Power provision to fortify law enforcement during the election, Huda had said. It means the troops will only aid the civil administration.

Huda’s stance on the election-time duty of the army falls in line with the Awami League’s demand for the deployment of troops to assist the civil administration as a strike force.

The ruling party argues that empowering the army with magisterial authority would be contrary to the constitution.

Secretary Helal said the EC discussed the army issue in its meeting on law enforcement.

The proposals will be finalised on Saturday and orders will be issued on the decisions, according to Helal.

The Border Guard Bangladesh will be deployed for 12 days from Dec 22 while police, RAB and Armed Police Battalion for six days from Dec 26, according to the proposals.

The law enforcers who have been assigned duty at the polling stations will be deployed on Dec 28, Helal said.

After hearing about the EC plan, BNP Vice Chairman M Hafizuddin Ahmed told a press conference that the media had reported the army would be deployed from Dec 15.

“Now it has been deferred. Why? Because they want to spread panic among the BNP and Oikya Front activists so that they leave their areas,” he said.

Around 50,000 members of the army were deployed during the 2008 and 2014 elections.

EC officials said small teams of the army would be sent to the election areas from Dec 15 to gather information on communication and polls atmosphere.

They will be deployed at the key points and help the law-enforcing agencies only on request from the returning officers, the EC officials said.

In the coastal areas, the navy will be deployed in place of the army.

The armed forces will also work to facilitate safe movement of vehicles.

In the six constituencies, where electronic voting machines will be used, the army will provide the election officials with technical help, according to the EC officials.