Over 1,400 polling stations in Dhaka flagged as 'high risk'

More than 1,400 polling stations across 13 constituencies in Dhaka have been identified as high risk ahead of the 13th national election, according to officials.

Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and Returning Officer Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury said striking forces will be deployed in greater numbers at those centres.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday at his office in Segunbagicha, he said election materials had begun reaching polling stations, bdnews24.com reports.

“Distribution of materials to polling stations began this morning. By the end of the day, all our presiding officers will be able to reach their centres with the materials,” he said.

He said preparations on the authorities’ side were largely complete.

According to Sharaf Uddin, 80 executive magistrates have been appointed to monitor law and order, alongside two judicial magistrates per constituency under the Electoral Inquiry Committee.

“All our forces are deployed. We have striking forces at every centre,” he said.

Executive magistrates had also been given the list and instructed to keep the centres under special monitoring, he added.

He noted that more than 98 per cent of polling stations in the 13 constituencies were now under CCTV surveillance. Highly important centres were fully covered, while efforts had been made to extend coverage to general centres.

Two members of the Ansar force have been trained for each centre to upload real-time images, which officials will monitor centrally.

Sharaf Uddin also said backup power arrangements had been put in place to ensure that vote-counting rooms would not go dark in the event of electricity disruptions.

“If the electricity goes out for technical reasons, the counting room will not be dark even for a second,” he said.

On security concerns, he said there was currently no indication of risk.

“So far, we do not think there is any security risk,” he said.