CCTV’s for all risky polling stations: 3000 drones to be deployed in election
Staff Reporter :
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin has said that three thousand drones will be deployed during the election. In addition, arrangements will be made for CCTV cameras and body cameras, said Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer Maulana Yusuf Ashraf.
He said, “We have given some suggestions and raised some complaints to ensure a level playing field, so that all parties can enjoy equal rights and polling centres remain secure. There should be no centre capturing or rigging. We have said that UNOs in some areas are acting in a biased manner. Also, a BNP candidate is threatening our candidate with death.”
He made these remarks while speaking to journalists after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Wednesday.
Apart from these, the government has allocated Tk 719,828,000 for installing CCTV cameras at 21,946 very important and risky polling stations across the country ahead of the 13th national parliament election and referendum slated for February 12.
The information was disclosed by Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Abul Kalam Azad Majumder at a briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Tuesday following the 119th meeting of the National Implementation Committee on Administrative Reorganization (NICAR).
Those present at the meeting included Joint Secretary General Maulana Tofazzal Hossain Miazi, Organising Secretary Maulana Azizur Rahman Helal, Maulana Faisal Ahmed, and Member Secretary of the Election Management Committee Maulana Hasan Juair.
Raising allegations, Maulana Yusuf Ashraf said that no action is being taken against what some party chiefs are openly saying. “One person has said that flats will be given. This is a violation of the electoral code of conduct. This shows that there is no level playing field in the election,” he said.
Citing specific complaints, he said that in Netrakona-1 constituency, the UNO of Kamalakanada upazila had been conducting duties in a largely neutral manner. A candidate of a particular party lobbied to have him withdrawn, and two days ago he was transferred. “We have demanded that the official be reinstated,” he said.
He further alleged that the UNO of Durgapur upazila in Netrakona does not investigate complaints and does not take allegations of code of conduct violations into account, and is working in favour of one side.
He also claimed that in Faridpur-2 constituency, supporters of the BNP candidate have threatened their candidate with death and have also threatened to set vehicles on fire.