DHAKA: The death of three persons in third phase of upazila polls were ‘individual’ incidents, commented Asaduzzaman Khan, the state minister for home affairs ministry.

He said the elections were held in a vast area of the country. During the polls, two or three persons can die in poll-related violence.

The minister told media at the inaugural ceremony of the weeklong training course titled ‘Transnational Crime: SAARC Perspective’ for police superintendents of the SAARC member countries held at Police Staff College in the capital.

He also said that police forces were in high alert in the polling areas. The incidents of death for violence during polls were not new. But we will try to prevent such incidents in future.

To the participants of the course, Asaduzzaman Khan said, this program will make a good rapport between the Bangladeshi police and others of the SAARC countries.

He hoped that the course would help the police forces prevent terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking and money laundering.

Nineteen police members from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Afghanistan and host Bangladesh have attended the program.

BDST: 1348 HRS, MAR 16, 2014