Staff Correspondent

The Election Commission (EC) will deploy around 7.5 lakh members of different law enforcement agencies across the country to hold the national election slated for January 7, in a free, fair and transparent manner.

Of them, 5.16 lakh Ansar member, 2350 coast guard and 1.82 lakh members of Rapid Action Battalion will remain on the streets to make the efforts a success, Additional Secretary of the EC Ashok Kumar Debnath told reports at the EC secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Also, 47,000 members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be actively present on the streets 10 days before and after of the national election to maintain law and order across the country, EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said this while talking to reporters after emerging from a meeting with the returning officers of Chattogram, Sylhet and Barishal divisions at the EC Secretariat in the capital this noon.

The Ansar members will remain on the streets for six days before and after the election while policemen for five days before and after the election, a source at the EC said.

Besides, the government has already deployed around 300 executive and judicial magistrates to uphold the electoral code of conduct at all 300 parliamentary constituencies across the country and they remain on the streets till January 9, the source said.

About the armed force deployment, Debnath said that no decision has yet been taken on the deployment of the armed forces.

As per the schedule, aspirants will have to submit nomination papers by November 30. The nomination papers will be scrutinised during December 1-4, while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature is December 17.

According to the updated voter list, there are 11.97 crore voters in Bangladesh. The EC has finalised 42,000 voting centres and 2.62 lakh polling booths.

It has also finalised the appointment of 66 returning officers and 592 assistant returning officers to conduct vote in 300 constituencies on January 7.