EC orders crackdown on illegal arms, criminals ahead of polls

The Election Commission, EC, has directed law enforcement agencies to take swift and effective action to recover illegal weapons and arrest criminals ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.

The directive was issued at a meeting on Sunday, January 11, at the EC Secretariat in Agargaon, where representatives from 16 agencies, including the armed forces, were present. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah chaired the meeting, which was also attended by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

Meeting sources said the commission has formed several coordination, vigilance and monitoring committees involving returning officers to maintain law and order during the election period. Although similar instructions were given in earlier security meetings, the EC noted that visible progress in coordination and enforcement has been lacking and therefore called for immediate and effective action.

Senior officials or representatives from the Armed Forces Principal Staff Office, Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, police, Ansar and Village Defence Party, National Security Intelligence, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre and the Rapid Action Battalion were among those who attended the meeting.