IGP prefers city polls by April

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque today said the police administration will feel comfortable if the elections to Dhaka's two city corporations and Chittagong City Corporation are held by April 30.

"Pakistan Cricket Team is scheduled to visit Bangladesh in early May. On behalf of police, we've said that it'll be comfortable for us, if the elections to city corporations are arranged by April 30," the IGP told reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad at the EC secretariat in Dhaka.

The IGP along with Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah sat at the nearly one-hour meeting that started at 3:30pm to discuss the upcoming elections to Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Chittagong City Corporation.

Claiming that a congenial atmosphere for elections now prevails in the country, the IGP said the police are ready to cooperate with the EC for holding the elections. "We'll cooperate with the Election Commission whatever it seeks (to ensure security)."

At the meeting, the IGP said, he came to know that the elections will be held on the same day.

Earlier today, EC Secretary Sirazul Islam told reporters that the commission has already taken all necessary preparations for the elections. Now the commission can announce election schedules at a convenient time after making the decision in this regard at its meeting, he added.

On March 12, the CEC said the commission would announce election schedules for three city corporations in the current month to arrange the polls before Ramadan.