Writ seeks armed forces’ involvement in voting process

Staff Correspondent: A writ petition was filed with the High Court (HC) seeking its directives upon the authorities concerned for the involvement of armed forces in the process of voting, vote counting and results publishing in the 11^th parliamentary elections slated for December 30.

Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Eunus Ali Akond, also a Jatiya Party candidate for Dhaka-8, filed the petition with the concerned branch of the High Court on Sunday.

In the writ petition, Akond prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the Election Commission and the government to explain why the commission’s failure to hold the 11th parliamentary election by engaging its own staff should not be declared illegal.

In the petition, he also said the EC is supposed to run the voting process by its own officials and staff but it is using the administrative officials in holding the process which is contradictory to the constitution.

He added that if the army, navy and air forces are deployed at all the polling booths and centres across the country, the election will be held in free and fair manner.

The petitioner also sought deployment of adequate police members to ensure security for him and his family members.

The HC may hear the petition tomorrow, he said.


risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 23, 2018/Mahidi/AI