STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Amid worries over deteriorating law and order ahead of the national polls, the Election Commission yesterday ordered law enforcers to set up more checkpoints, crack down on organised crime, and recover illegal or missing firearms and ammunition.

The instructions came in the wake of Friday’s attempt on the life of Dhaka-8 aspirant Sharif Osman Hadi. The attack on the Inqilab Mondho spokesperson, a day after the EC unveiled the polls schedule, has further stoked fears among the public and political leaders.

At an emergency meeting with top law enforcement officials yesterday afternoon, the EC discussed plans to neutralise security threats in the run-up to the February 12 election.

After the meeting, held at its Agargaon headquarters, the commission said it was not ruling out the possibility of further “covert attacks” but stressed that there were no concerns about the election itself and that it would be held as scheduled.

Referring to the shooting of Hadi, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin told the meeting that it “felt like a bolt of lightning striking my head.”

“I had announced the schedule the previous day [Thursday], and the very next day this incident occurred. It’s extremely tragic,” he added.

Meanwhile, the government yesterday

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