UNB, Dhaka :
The Election Commission has decided to provide compensation from its own fund to the family members of those killed and those suffered injuries while discharging their duties during the violence-hit January 5 parliamentary elections.
According to a list prepared by the commission secretariat, three election officials were killed and 330 other officials and law enforcers were injured during the 10th general election.
Those killed were Abul Bashar, presiding officer of Jhenidah-3, Zobaidul Haque, assistant presiding officer of Thakurgaon-1, and Abdul Wahab of Dinajpur.
The EC has decided to provide maximum Tk 5.5 lakh to the each family of those killed, while Tk 5,000 to Tk 200,000 to each of the injured.
“We’ve decided in principle to make an allocation from the commission’ s own fund for providing compensation to the family members of those killed and those suffered injuries during their duty in the last general election alongside the government’s compensation for the government officials,” Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz told UNB.
The commission will provide the compensation for both the government officials and non-government officials, he added.
“We’ve also requested different ministries concerned, including the Education and Health Ministries, to provide additional services and facilities to the victims and their families,” Shah Nawaz added.
The commission has already given Tk five lakh to the families of the two election officials – college teachers Abdul Bashar and Zobaidul Haque – killed during their election duties. And the compensation for another slain election official Abdul Wahab of Dinajpur will be given soon, said EC Deputy Secretary Mihir Sarwar Morshed.
The commission asked some ministries concerned to ensure the state facilities and assistance to the families and dependents of the dead officials so that they can lead the normal life.
In a letter to the Health Ministry, the EC asked for providing free medical treatment to the victims. In another letter to the Education Ministry, the EC requested it to ensure free education to the children of those killed and maimed until they get self-dependent.
The decision has been taken so that election officials and law enforcers do not lose their interest in performing their election duty in the future.
Maximum number of officials and law enforcers who fell victims to violence was reported from Dinajpur, Jessore and Thakurgaon districts.
Ninety-two of the victims, including one killed, were reported from Dinajpur, while 47, including one killed, from Thakurgaon, 45 from Jessore, 28 from Rangpur, 19 from Jamalpur, 16 from Nilphamari, 15 from Laxmipur, 13 from Chittagong, 13 from Gaibandha, 10 from Lalmonirhat, nine from Sherpur, seven including one killed, from Jhenidah, seven from Comilla, three each from Bogra and Rajshahi, two each from Mulvibazar and Magura, and one from Mymensingh.
The injured officials who got cured with primary treatment will get only Tk 5,000, while those who had to undergo treatment in hospital for at least three days to be given Tk 10,000 and those who had to stay in hospital for at least seven days Tk 25,000.
Besides, those who were critically injured will get Tk one lakh to two lakh from the EC fund.
On January 5, the general election experienced widespread violence that marred voting in 597 polling stations out of over 18,000 in the 147 constituencies.
It was the worst violence-hit election in the country’s recent polls history as 23-24 people were killed and many others injured in various parts of the country during the voting.
The Election Commission has decided to provide compensation from its own fund to the family members of those killed and those suffered injuries while discharging their duties during the violence-hit January 5 parliamentary elections.
According to a list prepared by the commission secretariat, three election officials were killed and 330 other officials and law enforcers were injured during the 10th general election.
Those killed were Abul Bashar, presiding officer of Jhenidah-3, Zobaidul Haque, assistant presiding officer of Thakurgaon-1, and Abdul Wahab of Dinajpur.
The EC has decided to provide maximum Tk 5.5 lakh to the each family of those killed, while Tk 5,000 to Tk 200,000 to each of the injured.
“We’ve decided in principle to make an allocation from the commission’ s own fund for providing compensation to the family members of those killed and those suffered injuries during their duty in the last general election alongside the government’s compensation for the government officials,” Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz told UNB.
The commission will provide the compensation for both the government officials and non-government officials, he added.
“We’ve also requested different ministries concerned, including the Education and Health Ministries, to provide additional services and facilities to the victims and their families,” Shah Nawaz added.
The commission has already given Tk five lakh to the families of the two election officials – college teachers Abdul Bashar and Zobaidul Haque – killed during their election duties. And the compensation for another slain election official Abdul Wahab of Dinajpur will be given soon, said EC Deputy Secretary Mihir Sarwar Morshed.
The commission asked some ministries concerned to ensure the state facilities and assistance to the families and dependents of the dead officials so that they can lead the normal life.
In a letter to the Health Ministry, the EC asked for providing free medical treatment to the victims. In another letter to the Education Ministry, the EC requested it to ensure free education to the children of those killed and maimed until they get self-dependent.
The decision has been taken so that election officials and law enforcers do not lose their interest in performing their election duty in the future.
Maximum number of officials and law enforcers who fell victims to violence was reported from Dinajpur, Jessore and Thakurgaon districts.
Ninety-two of the victims, including one killed, were reported from Dinajpur, while 47, including one killed, from Thakurgaon, 45 from Jessore, 28 from Rangpur, 19 from Jamalpur, 16 from Nilphamari, 15 from Laxmipur, 13 from Chittagong, 13 from Gaibandha, 10 from Lalmonirhat, nine from Sherpur, seven including one killed, from Jhenidah, seven from Comilla, three each from Bogra and Rajshahi, two each from Mulvibazar and Magura, and one from Mymensingh.
The injured officials who got cured with primary treatment will get only Tk 5,000, while those who had to undergo treatment in hospital for at least three days to be given Tk 10,000 and those who had to stay in hospital for at least seven days Tk 25,000.
Besides, those who were critically injured will get Tk one lakh to two lakh from the EC fund.
On January 5, the general election experienced widespread violence that marred voting in 597 polling stations out of over 18,000 in the 147 constituencies.
It was the worst violence-hit election in the country’s recent polls history as 23-24 people were killed and many others injured in various parts of the country during the voting.
