Dhaka-17 Polls : EC`s eyes on CC camera

Voting is going on in Dhaka-17 by-election. The Election Commission (EC) is monitoring polling booths with CC cameras to prevent election irregularities. Earlier, some elections held in EVMs were monitored by CCTV cameras, but this is the first time that monitoring is done by ballot papers.

The chief election commissioner, other commissioners and related officials are monitoring the polling station from the CCTV control room in the auditorium of the Election Commission Secretariat since Monday (July 17) morning. Besides Dhaka-17 Constituency, Bhandaria of Pirojpur District and Benapole Municipal Elections of Jessore District held on EVMs are being monitored.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, Election Commissioner Retired Brigadier General Ahsan Habib Khan, Election Commissioner Rasheda Sultana, Election Commissioner Anichur Rahman are monitoring the election from the control room. Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath, NID Director General AKM Humayun Kabir and IDEA-2 Project Director Brigadier General Abul Hasnat Sayem are also present.

There are total 124 polling stations in Dhaka-17 Constituency. A total of 853 CCTV cameras are monitoring the by-election of this seat. Apart from this, vote monitoring is being done through 119 CC cameras in 12 centers of Benapole and 86 CC cameras in 9 centers of Bhandaria.

By-elections and two municipal polls are being monitored simultaneously by 1,58 CC cameras through 20 digital display boards. Each display auto-rotates every ten seconds to monitor polling activity. The commission is monitoring the election by installing one in each polling station and two more outside the center. No untoward incidents have been reported in the election so far. Bhogimka which starts from 8 am will continue till 4 pm.

Earlier Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, Khulna, Gazipur, Rangpur and Comilla City Corporation elections were monitored by the Election Commission through CC cameras. Also Jhenaidah Municipality, Gaibandha-5 by-election is monitored by CC cameras.

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