RAJSHAHI, July 29, 2018 (BSS) – A five-tier security measures have been taken for making the tomorrow’s Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) polls free, fair, peaceful and acceptable to all as around 5,000 law enforcers will work
for maintaining law and order.
Security officials said around 3,000 members of police, 450 personnel of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 450 of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 990 of Ansar will discharge election duties.
Meanwhile, BGB and RAB personnel have already started patrolling the city areas to ward off any tense situation since yesterday.
“We have already deployed 19 platoons of BGB to avert any untoward incident and maintain peace in the metropolis,” said Lt Col Shamim Masud Al Iftekhar, Commanding Officer of 1 BGB Battalion. Of them, 15 platoons will be rendering
duties till July 31 and four platoons will be kept reserved for any special duty, he added.
He said the BGB members as the striking force have started patrolling different city areas to ensure overall security.
Major Ashraful Islam, Deputy Commanding Officer of RAB-5, said more than 400 RAB members have started performing duties since yesterday and they will continue their duties till July 31.
Ifte Khayer Alam, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP), said more than 3,000 policemen will remain in the election duty till next three days after polls, adding that Ansar will also be deployed.
He said all the policemen were kept on high alert so none can violate the election code of conduct. Foolproof security has been ensured in all the polling centres.
“We have taken all sorts of security measures to make the election proper and successful,” asserted Alam.
He said additional security measures will be arranged for the risky centres.
Meanwhile, restriction has been imposed on staying of outsiders and carrying firearms including the licensed ones and traffic movement here on the election.
Possessing and carrying of all sorts of firearms has been banned from July 27 to August 3 in the city corporation area. However, the restriction will not be applicable for the law enforcers and other institutional security men.
Referring to the vehicular movement, Alam said plying of taxicab, microbus, jeep, pickup van, car, bus, truck, tempo, baby-taxi, auto-rickshaw, easy-bike and all other mechanized vehicles will be restricted from July 29 midnight to July 30 midnight.
Besides, plying of motorbike will remain suspended from July 28 midnight till the morning of July 31, he continued.
However, vehicles can be used by officers and employees engaged in election duties and other law enforcers agencies and ambulances and vehicles engaged in emergency and utility services will remain outside of the purview of the
restriction.