The Election Commission (EC) has formed "Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committees" for all 300 parliamentary constituencies in the country to investigate pre-election irregularities and conduct summary trials of electoral offences.

The committees were formed today (14 December) through a notification signed by Mohammad Didar Hossain, deputy secretary of the EC's law wing. The EC said the committees were constituted by the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in consultation with the Bangladesh Supreme Court under Articles 91A and 91AA of the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

According to the notification, judicial officers will serve on all 300 committees. The main responsibilities include investigating pre-election irregularities under Article 91A of the RPO, 1972 (P.O. No. 155 of 1972), and conducting summary trials of offences punishable under Articles 73, 75, 77 and Article 91B(3) of the order.

The EC recently amended the RPO, granting the Electoral Inquiry and Adjudication Committee the authority to try specific electoral and criminal offences.

When asked, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud said, "If anyone violates the law under the RPO or the code of conduct, this committee will be able to conduct the trial."

The notification stated that committee officials will be deemed to have been released from their parent offices from the date of issuance of the notification and placed under the EC. They will remain present in their respective constituencies to perform election-related duties round the clock from the date of the notification until the election results are published in the official gazette.

In the event of any pre-election irregularity, the committees must complete their investigation within three days and send the report to the concerned district election officer, who will forward the investigation report to the senior secretary of the EC Secretariat.

The notification also said that, during duty, one bench assistant, stenographer or office assistant may be kept as support staff. All deputy commissioners have been requested to provide jeeps, microbuses, speedboats or other necessary vehicles round the clock, as per demand and necessity. All police commissioners and superintendents of police have been requested to assign two armed police personnel for round-the-clock security of committee officials and deploy the necessary striking force as required by the committees to conduct inquiries or trials. Committee officials and support staff will be entitled to travel and daily allowances (TA/DA) in accordance with the rules, the notification adds.

Election Commission (EC)