DHAKA, Dec 25, 2019 (BSS) – Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda today instructed election officials to perform their duties neutrally in the upcoming polls of both Dhaka South and North City Corporations.
“Both Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) elections are very important for the Election Commission (EC). That’s why you (election officials) must perform your responsibilities fairly,” he said.
The CEC was speaking at the inaugural session of a training programme
organised for the returning officers of two city corporations in Dhaka at the Election Training Institute at the Commission headquarters here.
“The Dhaka city polls will be competitive ones,” he said, adding the
election officials should perform duties without taking sides reaching above
the fear or threat posed to them by any quarter.
“You (election officials) should not consider the backgrounds of
candidates. You must deal with every candidate equally…you have to value
the election activities of every candidate,” Huda said.
He said election officials must ensure suitable atmosphere at the polling
stations so that voters can exercise their franchise.
About the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the city polls, the CEC
said as the Commission has had a good result of the use of the polling
devices in national and local elections, the Commission will continue the EVM
use.
The EVMs are surviving facing many obstacles, he said, adding that the EC
officials have been given training on the use of these devices.
“Many of you have given votes using the EVMs. There is no problem in
operating the polling devices,” Huda said.
On December 22, the EC announced that the elections to DSCC and DNCC would
be held on January 30 next.
Election Commissioners – Mahbub Talukdar, Md Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita
Khanam, Brigadier General (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury and EC Secretary
Md Alamgir- among others, were present.