CEC to meet chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force to discuss election security

The Election Commission has fixed Wednesday to brief its field officials

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin has fixed Sunday to meet with the chiefs of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force to review the law and order ahead of the February parliamentary polls and the referendum on implementing the July Charter.

The meeting will be held at the Nirbachan Bhaban at 12pm on Sunday and will be attended by Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Md Nazmul Hassan, and Chief of Air Staff Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan.

The EC will also discuss the law and order in another high-level meeting at the same place at 2:30pm.

Presided over by the CEC, the second meeting will be attended by the election commissioners and the EC secretary.

The meeting agenda includes discussion of illegal firearm recovery, crackdowns by joint forces, and enforcement of the electoral code of conduct.

The EC has decided to deploy law-enforcing agencies for five days before and after the parliamentary polls and referendum. The forces will remain in the field from Feb 9 to Feb 13.

The EC will brief returning officers and other field officers on election management. Divisional, police, and deputy commissioners, DIGs, superintendents of police, and regional election officers have been called to the Nirbachan Bhaban on Wednesday.

The CEC announced the election schedule on Dec 11, setting the last date for submitting nomination papers, the scrutiny, the period for appeals and disposal, the last date for withdrawal, and the polling date.

The date for filing appeals and their disposal has been revised. The time to appeal against the returning officer’s decision has been reduced by two days, while the disposal period has been extended by two days.

In the revised notification, the period to file an appeal has been set from Jan 5 to Jan 9.

The period for disposal of appeals has been set from Jan 10 to Jan 18.