Staff Reporter:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said violence during election is not acceptable anyhow as it creates panic among people.
“Violence at polls will not be tolerated in any way as it creates panic among people. So, violent activities must be resisted,” he said while inaugurating a training program for judicial magistrates in the city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Centre yesterday.
A total of 650 judicial magistrates took part in the training session ahead of the 12th Parliament Election slated for January 7.
Mentioning that there is an international dimension of the 12th Parliament Election, the CEC said, add-ing that there is no scope of ignoring it as they want to see a free and fair election.
“Trifling incidents of violence can take place during the polls . . . But if such activities exceed limits, those must be resisted,” he added.
He said voting will take place at 43,000 polling centers and the Election Commission has been entrusted with the highest responsibility, but it is not possible for only the EC to arrange the polls. Thus, it has been mentioned in the Constitution to give the EC manpower as per its requirement, he said.
A political quarter has boycotted the election and this quarter is launching activities against the polls, but if they carry out violent activities or try to prevent voters from exercising their right of franchise, the EC will have to take steps against it, the CEC said.
The responsibility of the EC is to organize election for electing parliament members, he said, apprehend-ing that if the government is not formed through election, there is a possibility of forming an undemo-cratic government.
About the notion of deferment of election, the CEC said the EC has no jurisdiction to defer the election, he added.
EC secretary Md Jahangir Alam presided over the event. Election Commissioners Brigadier General (rtd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan and Begum Rasheda Sultana and law and justice division secretary of the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry Md Golam Sarwar, among others, were present.
