The Election Commission (EC) has directed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to not arrest any candidate or party supporter without a warrant till Jan 30, when the election is scheduled for Dhaka South and North city corporations.
A letter has been sent in this regard to DMP on Tuesday (Jan 7), said EC Senior Secretary Md Alamgir at a media briefing on Tuesday noon.
“I have talked to the DMP chief over the EC’s decision,” said Alamgir before adding the DMP can carry out an arrest in case the poll candidates or campaigners commit a fresh criminal offence or there is any court order.
The EC would hold another meeting with law enforcing members on Jan 22 to give further directions, the senior secretary added.
On Monday (Jan 6), Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda assured BNP leaders that no activists or party leaders will be arrested till the election of Dhaka city corporations which is slated for Jan 30.
The CEC came up with the assurance after a delegation from the party, led by its Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury had a meeting with election commission officials, led by the CEC at Election Commission Secretariat in Dhaka’s Agargaon.
MEDIA PERMITTED
The EC has decided to allow the media during the Jan 30 polls, Alamgir said.
"Journalists will be given accreditation and sticker for the vehicles, carrying them. They are allowed to move anywhere in the polling station except the voting room. They are allowed to talk to anyone including polling officers and agents," he added.
Voters in Dhaka city will cast their ballot from 8am to 5pm on Jan 30 using electronic voting machines (EVMs).
According to the EC, the two city corporations have as many as 5,403,099 voters — 3,035,611 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 2,367,488 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) — to cast their votes in the elections.
There are 1,394 poll centres with 7,516 voting room in DNCC while 1,124 poll centres with 5,998 voting rooms in DSCC.
Along with electing the mayors, DNCC voters will also elect 54 ward councillors and 18 reserved women councillors while DSCC voters will elect 75 ward councillors and 25 reserved women councillors.
