Monirul Alam of DOT :
Mercury goes up across the country as the clock strikes 8am from when voters in 299 out of 300 constituencies start casting the ballots for the next eight hours, to bring to power a new government.
The election, which is of both tension and enthusiasm among the people, is also a subject to huge interest in the outer world.
The 11th parliamentary polls open amid tight security taken to avert any untoward situation that may hamper the election leading to bring in a ruling party for the next five-year regime.
As many as 10.42 crore voters are supposed to cast their votes to elect 299 lawmakers while Gaibandha-3 constituency’s election has been postponed after the death of the Jatiya Oikya Front candidate.
The Election Commission scheduled January 27 for the constituency’s election, instead. Some 1,861 candidates are running the polls race and of them, 128 are contesting independently. The 39 contesting parties include Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Islami Oikyojote, Torikat Federation, NPP, BNF, Bangladesh Muslim League, Gonoforum, Bikolpodhara and some left-leaning parties like BSD, JSD, CPB, Workers Party of Bangladesh and Gonotontri Party. The electioneering mainly focused on two camps –ruling AL-led Grand Alliance that includes Jatiya Party (Ershad), with Dr Kamal Hossain-led alliance named Jatiya Oikyafront that included BNP. Top leaders of both the alliances called respective party workers and supporters to remain alert against possible vote rigging, by guarding polling centres.
Meanwhile, the polls drew huge criticism from home and abroad in the last couple days mainly owing to pre-polls clashes, and the role of the EC and administration. Civil society members, local and foreign election observers and diplomatic missions are also keeping an eye on the election.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Thursday directed police officials deployed in the field to avert any plot to create any disturbance by any quarters.
“Maintain law and order strictly,” Huda asked police yesterday, asking all law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of polling agents on duty during the general elections. He also suggested the voters to cast the ballots and help hold the election inclusively.
A total of 6, 08, 000 members of different law enforcement agencies army were deployed to ensure peaceful polls environment. Some 1,328 executive and judicial magistrates are also tasked with the polls-related activities.
There are centres is 40,183 across the country headed by one Presiding Officer for each. Two Divisional Commissioners and sixty four Deputy Commissioners have been appointed as Returning Officer.
Eighty one election observing organizations have been allowed by the EC to send 25,900 observers to oversee the elections, which is supposed to be monitored by 64 foreign diplomats. Besides, 61 officials from foreign missions in Bangladesh also allowed to monitoring the elections.
According to EC, a total of 1,861 candidates have been contesting the election. Out of them, 1,733 candidates representing different political parties while remaining 128 on the race as independent.
The EC has restricted public transports like bus, truck, microbus, pick-ups, car, human hauliers, auto-rickshaw, taxi, easy-bike and water transports from 12am until today midnight. However, ambulance and transport carrying medical team and media people and firefighters and emergency utility services are out of the restriction’s purview.
The EC has issued sticker for transports it has allowed for today.