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Army gets down to another poll task

SHAKHAWAT LlTON andSHARlFUL ISLAM
Army rolled out yesterday for maintaining law and order in the January 22 upaziia parishad elections as grassroots level leaders of the two major political rivals--ruling Awami League and opposition BNP--face off in the crucial battle of ballots.
The army will start election duty from tomorrow and have the authority, as they had during last month's national elections, to take action to prevent violation of electoral code of conduct and arrest anybody without warrants on polling day for electoral offences.
Sources said the army is being deployed in the wake of post-parliamentary election violence; they started fanning out from barracks yesterday morning and are expected to be
stationed at different remote places by today.
Top officials of law enforcement agencies are anticipating slide in law and order with the election fever hitting the country as campaigning ends January 20 midnight.
Grassroots leaders of both the AL and BNP are desperately trying to ensure triumph in the election to 480 upaziia parishads being held after around two decades.
Both the parties took highest efforts to pick one candidate for the post of chairman in each upaziia parishad.
But rival candidates from within both the parties are contesting for the post in many upazilas, violating their high commands' directives. Incidents of clashes between the supporters of these rivals have also taken place in many
places.
The post of upaziia parishad chairman has become a lucrative one as the law has vested much power in the chairman through whom the development projects will be implemented under the government's development funds.
Although the Election Commission (EC) had decided not to deploy army in the upaziia election, it finally shifted from its stance following rise in post-parliamentary polls violence and incidents of influencing the polls by ruling party lawmakers.
The EC has already issued a circular directing deputy commissioners (DCs) across the country to perform necessary duties alongside coordinating with the
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law enforcement agencies, sources in the EC Secretariat said.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun has said some 5,13,800 law enforcers, including 38,000 army troops, will be deployed across the country to ensure peaceful atmosphere during the upazila polls.
REPORTED INFLUENCE ON UPAZILA POLLS
The EC has found that ruling party MPs are trying to influence the upazila parishad elections in many areas by carrying out electoral campaigns in favour of their candidates. But the commission is unable to take any action to prevent this because the electoral rules do not impose any restriction on MPs against fdPto^arry candidates.
"We cannot prevent lawmakers from campaigning for their candidates in the poll as there is no such restriction in the electoral laws on them." Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told reporters yesterday at his office.
He urged lawmakers not to make any pledge for development activities seeking vote for their candidates.
The EC yesterday sent a letter to the speaker informing him about violation of electoral code of conduct by AL lawmaker Abdul Quddus of Natore by taking 80 gold replicas of boat. AL election symbol, as gift and asking people to vote for the candidate of his choice if they want development of the area.
In the letter, the EC said his conduct is not acceptable to it when the whole nation is committed to establish good governance and build a country free from corruption.
The EC sent another letter to the Cabinet Division, informing it about violation of electoral code of conduct by Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Khairuzzaman Liton for campaigning in favour of an upazila parishad candidate.
As per electoral rules, a mayor, who enjoys the status of a state minister, cannot campaign for any candidate.