Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows paramilitary vehicles on a street ahead of the Dhaka city polls in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed in parts of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, as the country is all set to hold its first major all-EVM (electronic voting machine) polls slated for Feb. 1. (Str/Xinhua)
by Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed in parts of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, as the country is all set to hold its first major all-EVM (electronic voting machine) polls slated for Feb. 1.
"A total of 65 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at different strategic points in Dhaka Thursday morning," BGB spokesman Shariful Islam told Xinhua.
He said that the BGB personnel will continue to patrol Dhaka streets till Feb. 2.
He further said 10 more platoons (around 35 members in each platoon) of BGB personnel will also remain ready as reserved forces to boost colleagues' efforts in maintaining order during the elections to the posts of two mayors and 111 councillors on Feb. 1.
Apart from BGB men, around 50,000 law enforcers including members of anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will be deployed in the city.
Bangladeshi Election Commission has decided to deploy paramilitary troops in purview of a spate of attacks upon poll candidates and their activities in parts of the city, ahead of the elections seen as test for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's popularity.
In the elections, Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League party is as always facing challenges from ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which is against the use of EVMs.
Leaders of the largest opposition party on several occasions termed the EVM "a tool for robbing votes".
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said use of EVMs in the elections is a part of the conspiracy to snatch people's voting rights permanently.
Ruling party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader, however, said they are in favor of use of EVM in the elections as they believe in modern technology to build a "Digital Bangladesh".
However, Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, made it clear that they won't mind if the commission decides to hold the elections in the previous system.
Despite opposition from the largest opposition party, the Election Commission remained in its decision to use EVMs.
Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda brushed aside BNP's concerns over EVMs in Dhaka city polls, saying they are of high quality and it won't be possible to cast fake votes using EVM.
Around 1,000 candidates are contesting in the elections to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation.
Candidates are now neck and neck hanging a huge number of banners and posters in every nook and corner of the capital city.
Of the aspirants, 13 are mayoral candidates and 980 are vying for ward councillor posts in the elections to the two city corporations.
