In what appears to be an insidious move on the part of the Bangladesh Election Commission, all members of the 230,000-strong Bangladesh Police force have been instructed to use ballot papers – sent to every individual residential address – that carries an eight-digit number corresponding to their BP numbers, documents accessed by Northeast News reveal.
BP numbers in the Bangladesh Police force are unique identification numbers assigned to all police personnel, that are alpha-numeric beginning with BP and followed by a string of digits.
These numbers serve as personal identification for officers, similar to a staff ID, and are used in official documentation, transfers and promotions.
Several ballot papers sent to the individual postal addresses of the officers show an eight-digit number on the top right-hand corner of each of the ballots.
The police personnel are expected to mark their preferred electoral symbols before sending them to the Election Commission before the February 12 election.
Each of the policemen have also been sent a separate ballot paper (pink) to exercise their vote – Yes or No – for the referendum that is scheduled to be also held on February 12.
The eight-digit numbers correspond to the BP numbers.
This, police sources said, would “compromise” their secret ballot as their identity, established through their BP numbers, would be matched with their choice of electoral symbols.
Besides, all police personnel have been “virtually coerced” to download an app, Postal Vote BD, where each of them will have to mandatorily fill in their service details, including the BP numbers and upload their educational and professional documents, including certificates.
One such postal ballot paper (for the general election) accessed by Northeast News shows the eight-digit number located at the top right-hand corner.
Below the particular number ending in ****62 are the horizontally printed party symbols in two columns along with the names of the electoral candidates.
“Since the secrecy element will be missing from the electoral process, we are apprehensive that action might be initiated against us if we do not vote for a particular party/candidate,” a Sub-Inspector posted in a police station in Dhaka said.
This postal ballot paper shows the BNP’s paddy sheaf listed at the top, in the first column, followed by the Jatiya Party-Ershad’s plough, sunflower (independent), bicyle (Jatiya Party-Manju), football (Islami Andolan Bangladesh), motor car (Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal), motorcycle (independent) and a few others.
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The Jamaat-e-Islami’s balance symbol is not listed on this ballot paper, suggesting this particular ballot paper is constituency specific. In other words, the Jamaat is not contesting in this constituency.
As for the referendum, “individual SPs and departmental seniors have been pressuring us to vote Yes and we suspect that the app software has been designed in a way that will invariably trigger a Yes vote even if we select No”, a police officer from Sunamganj district said.
Another Dhaka-based officer (an Inspector) said that their superiors have been regularly sending them SMS-es to opt for the Yes vote.
Meanwhile, the BNP has been sending out a link — https://okrebelle.org/Mr-Tareq-Cash-BDT20000-Gifts.html — to all persons who are registered party members, supporters and even ordinary voters.
Clicking this link and filling in the details by way of responding to some questions would ensure a BDT 20,000 “gift” from BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman. Several Awami League workers have also received this link as messages on their mobile phones.
