DHAKA – Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda today asked the executive magistrates to ensure the security of voters so that they can return home safely after casting their votes.

“We don’t want any type of violence centering the general election. We want to hold the election in a free, fair, neutral and peaceful manner,” he said while briefing the executive magistrates, who will be engaged in the upcoming parliamentary polls, at Nirbachan Bhaban in city’s Agargaon.

Urging the executive magistrates to remain alert so that no violence or bloodshed can take place in the country centering the polls, Huda said: “It is your duty to keep the polls’ environment safe and peaceful”.

Instructing the magistrates to perform their duty carefully, the CEC said the polling day is a very important one. “You’ll have to perform duty carefully on the day. You may face embarrassing or provocative situation. You might be misguided. But, you’ve to address the entire situation with intelligence and skill.

“You’ve to understand which incident is true or false. You’ve to keep contact with presiding officers and other colleagues to get updates about the polling stations,” Huda said.

He also urged the magistrates to keep contact with law enforcement agencies.

“You (executive magistrates) must ensure the security of the presiding officers. It is your duty to cooperate them whenever they want. Cooperation between the executive magistrates and the presiding officers is an urgent for holding a fair election,” he said.

The CEC suggested the executive magistrates to read the electoral rules, CRPC and the code of conduct for discharging duties sincerely.

Election commissioners – Mahbub Talukder, Md Rafiqul Islam, Begum Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (retd) Shahdat Hossain Chowdhury – also spoke on the occasion with EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed in the chair.