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The main opposition BNP has demanded that the Election Commission move to deploy the army to ensure free and fair municipal polls next month.

A delegation of the party raised the demand at a meeting with the commission yesterday.

“We do not claim that the present law and order is not conducive to holding elections. We still raised the demand as we think holding of a free and fair election is not possible without army deployment,” BNP leader MK Anwar said.

Anwar, a member of the party's national standing committee, was talking to newsmen on the EC Secretariat premises after the meeting.

Elections to 269 municipalities across the country will be held in mid-January.

Announcing the polls schedule on Thursday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda said the EC would go for army deployment if necessary.

About the BNP's demand, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain yesterday told reporters the EC was observing the situation and if necessary it would move for army deployment at short notice.

The country's electoral laws empower the army, air force and navy to arrest anybody without warrant within 400 yards radius of the polling stations on the election day.

Armed forces members on election duties are also authorised to take actions to ensure enforcement of the electoral laws and code of conduct.

At the meeting, the five-member BNP delegation also said fielding candidates for the mayoral posts by ruling Awami League or the grand alliance would be “against electoral laws”.

The BNP leaders argued election to the local government bodies is non-partisan. There is no scope for a political party or an alliance to field candidates, they added.

On Friday, AL General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam said the party-led grand alliance would pick a candidate for each mayoral post and support them in the elections.

Ashraf made the announcement after a meeting of AL central working committee.

“We sought to know the commission's stance over the ruling party announcement,” said Anwar, who led the party delegation.

Anwar also heads a three-member committee to co-ordinate the party activities centring the polls. The two other members are BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan and joint secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, said sources from the party chairperson's office.

Talking to the reporters yesterday, Anwar claimed that BNP decided not to field any candidate in the polls.

BNP leaders also expressed concern over the appointment of top officials of the local administration as returning officers and appellate authorities to conduct the municipality polls.

The EC appointed upazila executive officers as returning officers, and deputy commissioners as appellate authorities to settle dispute over candidacies.

“The election will not be free from the ruling party influence as important officials of the local administration were appointed to conduct the polls,” Anwar said.

He said it would be difficult for the officials to avert the ruling party influence at the field level.

“The election commission should appoint its own officials at least as appellate authorities,” Anwar said.

The BNP delegation also criticised the EC for deferring the election to Dhaka City Corporation.

Anwar said the EC earlier had planned to announce schedule for DCC election this year, but it now says there are some problems to hold the DCC poll.

“The commission is delaying to hold the DCC polls to ensure ruling party leader's win,” Anwar alleged.