Directive to keep CCTV cameras in polling centres switched off
GBNEWS24DESK//
Several headmasters have said they were summoned to the Returning Officer’s office and asked to keep the CCTV cameras of their respective schools switched off during the voting.
Contacted, Election Commission (EC) secretary Humayun Kabir Khondker said he does not know anything else about the matter. Generally, it is the responsibility of the EC officials to take control of the polling centres. However, they should look into who installed the CCTV cameras and why, and who controls those CCTV cameras.
“If the CCTV cameras are not under the control of the EC, the officials concerned would ask to keep those switched off during the voting, and it is normal,” he said.
The CCTVs cameras were installed by the educational institutions concerned earlier. There has been a long demand to install CCTV cameras at the polling centres to ensure fair elections by different political parties.
The EC secretary said he learnt that the CCTV cameras were installed by the school authorities concerned. “CCTV cameras cannot exist in the polling centres without the decision of the EC. So, the headmasters were asked to keep the CCTV cameras of their respective schools switched off during the voting,” he said.
However, it could not be possible to make contact with Returning Officer Mahfuza Akter for her comments despite repeated attempts on Friday.
Sources at the Narayanganj Election Office said the educational institutions which have been made polling centres and which have CCTV cameras, those were asked to keep their CCTV cameras switched off on the polling day through a directive on Tuesday.
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