No CCTV cameras in 12th national election: Election Commission (EC)

Election Commissioners Md Alamgir and Rasheda Sultana on Sunday indicated that there is no plan to monitor the upcoming 12th national election by installing CCTV cameras in the polling centers.

Election Commissioner Alamgir gave this indication to reporters at the Election Bhaban on Sunday when asked about the plan to install CCTV cameras in the risky centers.

"It hasn't been discussed much between us. There was no formal discussion…Because you know, there are about four lakh centres in 300 constituencies. There may be a number of risky centres. It is difficult to monitor through CCTV cameras in so many centers,” said Md Alamgir.

"We will make special arrangements at the vulnerable centres in that case. I mean, we're going to hire more law enforcement members in those centers," he added.

Mentioning that if all the parties participate in the election, a balanced environment is automatically prevailed, EC Alamgir said, “They (parties) play a great role in maintaining discipline rather than law enforcement agencies. Because they know that if the situation deteriorates or the situation worsens in the elections, they will be the ones who will be affected.”

On the other hand, Election Commissioner Rasheda Sultana on Sunday said that the commission will not use CCTV cameras in the upcoming 12th parliamentary election.

She said this while talking to reporters at her election office at Agargaon in the capital.

Rasheda Sultana said that there is no legal obligation to use CCTV cameras in the election, so the Commission is not obliged to use cameras.