BGB deployed ahead of Gazipur city polls

Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has deployed 29 platoons in preparation for the coming Gazipur City Corporation polls.

Gazipur Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 June 2018, 05:57 AM
Updated : 24 June 2018, 05:57 AM

BGB personnel vehicles were seen patrolling the area on Sunday morning.

“The BGB personnel will patrol the area until Wednesday,” BGB Public Relations official Mohsin Reza told bdnews24.com. “More BGB personnel are on standby and will be deployed if necessary.”

Each platoon will oversee two of the city’s 57 wards. Each of the platoons consists of 20-30 personnel.

According to Gazipur Additional District Magistrate Sanjeeb Kumar Debnath, seven platoons will cover the Konabari and Kashimpur area, 10 will cover the Tongi area and 12 will cover the Joydebpur, the Basan Chandana Crossroads and the Kaulatia area.

Nearly 11,000 law enforcement personnel, including RAB, police, APBN and Ansar are to be deployed to provide security for the polls.

The 1,137,737 voters in the constituency will elect a mayor, 57 general councillors and 19 reserve seat councillors in the Jun 26 polls.

Seven candidates are vying for the position of mayor, 84 for the post of reserved women councillor and 254 for the general councillors’ seat.

“Preparations are in their final stages and will be completed by midnight on Sunday,” said Gazipur City Corporation Election Returning Officer Rakib Uddin Mondul. “Meanwhile we are providing training to 9,000 election officials.”

Law enforcers are ready for any situation, said Gazipur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Harun-ur-Rasheed.

Fifty-seven strike forces of police and Ansar have been assigned to the 57 wards and 20 striking forces for the reserve wards. Fifty-eight RAB teams have also been deployed.

An executive magistrate has been assigned to monitor each of the wards before and after the election and 10 additional magistrates have also been deployed.

A total of 19 judicial magistrates have also been assigned to the polls and will work from Jun 24 to Jun 27/

“The point of this security to prevent violence and fraud,” Returning Officer Rakib Uddin said.

Voting will take place at 425 polling centres in the constituency – 337 of which are designated as priorities.

A total of 24 law enforcers (including 12 armed personnel) will be deployed to each of the priority polling centres. General polling centres will have 22 law enforcers, 10 of whom will be armed.