655 judicial magistrates deployed for speedy justice surrounding election

As many as 1,500 executive magistrates and 1,000 judicial magistrates have been assigned to oversee the polls since the election schedule was announced

The government has appointed 655 judges as judicial magistrates for deployment across Bangladesh to ensure swift justice for various offences surrounding the 13th parliamentary elections and referendum.

They will begin serving in different constituencies from Tuesday. They will remain in the field until Feb 14, two days after election day.

The Election Commission (EC) appointed the magistrates in a notice issued on Tuesday.

The EC says they will take cognisance of election-related crimes and complete trials in a summary manner, as per the Representation of the People Order, 1972 (RPO).

The notice says magistrates will be able to take action in accordance with the provisions of “The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898” over crimes committed under the RPO.

On Feb 3, the government had assigned 1,051 executive magistrates to maintain law and order across the country during the elections. The executive magistrates will operate mobile courts in their assigned areas from Feb 8-14.

Since the announcement of the election schedule on Dec 11, 1,500 executive magistrates and 1,000 judicial magistrates have been assigned to oversee the polls.