Staff Correspondent:

Members of law enforcement agencies, including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed in 157 upazilas ahead of the second phase of upazila parishad election on Sunday (May 19).

Deputy Secretary of the Election Commission (Election Management Branch) Atiyar Rahman said members of different law enforcement agencies will remain deployed for five days before and after the second phase of the country’s sixth upazila parishad polls slated for May 21.

The home ministry has already issued a circular in this regard.

According to the circular, a security team of 17 to 19 members would guard each polling station in the plain districts, while a security team of 19 to 21 members would protect a polling station in the Chittagong hill tracts and very remote areas.

Meanwhile, as per the BGB media release, a total of 457 platoons of BGB have been deployed to maintain law and order ahead of the second phase of upazila parishad polls and the force will remain deployed from May 19 till May 23.

It said under ‘In Aid to the Civil Power’, the BGB personnel will perform duty as mobile and striking force to assist the local civil administration to hold a free, fair and peaceful election.

During the 1st phase election, a total of 418 BGB men were deployed on May 8.

According to the Election Commission, in the second phase, 160 upazilas will go to polls on May 21, and in third phase, 112 upazilas will go to polls on May 29. In the 4th phase, elections will be held in 55 upazilas on June 5.

As per the EC’s plan, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be used in 22 upazila parishad polls in the first phase, 24 in second phase, 21 in third phase, and two in the fourth phase.