Dhaka: Authorities in Bangladesh on Wednesday deployed Armed forces to assist the administration in holding the January 7 national election in a free, fair, and peaceful manner as tensions spiked in the country ahead of the polls being boycotted by the main Opposition BNP.
“Members of the armed forces will be stationed at nodal points and other places in every district, sub-district, and metropolitan area,” said a statement of the Inter-Service Public Relations, the media wing of the military.
The Army was deployed in several districts on Tuesday, but they began work in Dhaka at 8 am on Wednesday at the Zia Colony and Sainik Club neighbourhoods in the Dhaka Cantonment.
They will assist the Election Commission and the local administration to ensure peace and discipline from January 3 to 10.
Apart from the armed forces, members of the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will also be on election duty.
The Bangladesh Navy will operate in 19 districts, including Bhola and Barguna, while the Border Guard Bangladesh will take on the sole responsibility in 45 bordering upazilas.
The BGB and Army will work in 47 bordering upazilas and coordinate with the Coast Guard in four coastal upazilas, the ISPR said.
The Bangladesh Air Force will provide helicopter support to the polling centres in the Hill Tracts. They have already prepared enough of them to meet the needs of the election.
The Armed Forces Division has formed a combined cell, including law enforcers and representatives from different ministries, which will be active until January 10.
The January 7 polls are being boycotted by the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khalida Zia, as its demand for an interim non-party neutral government to organise the voting was rejected by the government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina is also the president of the ruling Awami League.
The BNP boycotted the 2014 election but took part in the 2018 polls, which party leaders later said was a mistake, alleging that the voting was marred with widespread rigging and intimidation.
PTI

Press Trust of India