RpCC-2022 election will be model one: RpMP Commissioner

Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RpMP) Commissioner Nure Alam Mina has said the third Rangpur City Corporation (RpCC) Election-2022 on December 27 next will be a model one, reports BSS.  

"For this, all kinds of preparations have been taken," he said on Monday while addressing a special briefing on the occasion of sending EVMs and other election materials to the polling centres on the Police Lines School and College ground in the city. 

Returning Officer for RpCC Elections-2022 Md. Abdul Baten, senior officials, presiding officers and members of different law enforcement agencies involved in the RpCC Election-2022 were present.

The RpMP chief said all necessary measures, including adequate security steps, have been taken to make the RpCC Election-2022 free, fair and impartial. 

"Besides, members of different intelligence agencies will be deployed in plain clothes in the field. We have asked all members of the law and order enforcement agencies to perform their duties impartially following the service rules," he said. 

The organizations will not take responsibility if anyone does something out of the service rules. 

"In the RpCC Election-2022, there will be a mobile team in every general ward consisting of police, APBN and battalion Ansar as mobile and striking force," he said.

Besides, there will be one striking force for every three general wards and one reserve striking force for every police station and there will be one RAB team for every two general wards.

"The RAB/Police teams outside the polling stations will be vigilantly responsible for the security of the respective polling stations as striking forces," he said.

Four armed police (one SI/ASI and three constables), two armed Ansars and 10 deployed Ansar-VDP members (four women and six men) armed with batons will be in each of the 86 important polling centres out of a total of 229 polling centres.

"Besides, 33 executive magistrates and 16 judicial magistrates have been performing duties in 33 general wards," the RpMP chief added. 

The Returning Officer said that sending of election accessories including EVMs to the polling stations began today under supervision of law enforcement agencies.

"From today, members of Police and Ansar-VDP will be deployed to ensure security in polling centres. Actions will be taken immediately after receiving any complaint against anyone," he said.

The RpCC Election-2022 will be held at 1,349 booths of 229 polling centres using EVMs from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on December 27 next. 

"Every polling station will be covered by CCTV cameras and the RpCC-2022 elections will be monitored from both Dhaka and Rangpur with CCTV cameras. If any problem is noticed, steps will be taken immediately," he said.

A total of 260 candidates, including nine for mayoral, 183 for 33 general councilors and 68 for 11 reserved female councilors posts, are contesting in the race.

"As many as 4,26,470 voters, including 2,12,302 males, 2,14,167 females and a transgender voter, will apply voting rights in the RpCC Election- 2022," he added.