Some 81 million people are registered to vote in Monday's parliamentary election in Bangladesh, which has a history of frequent electoral fraud and violence.

The interim government took over in January 2007 at a time of deadly political clashes, canceling an election due that month.

'Perhaps we have taken the toughest ever security precautions to ensure that balloting takes place peacefully, free from rigging, intimidation and threats,' Noor Mohammad, Inspector-General of Police, told reporters on Sunday.

'We have imposed blanket security for the political leaders, candidates, poll officials and voters all over the country,' Hasan Mahmud Khandoker, Director-General of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), told Reuters separately.

The black-clad RAB is an elite force drawn from police, army and paramilitary personnel.

Bangladesh has deployed 50,000 troops, 75,000 police and 6,000 RAB members along with other auxiliary forces, Mr Mahmud said.

On Sunday, army troops were patrolling streets and police dispersing to polling centres, after clashes between supporters of rival candidates the previous day injured nearly 200 people.

Earlier, police said they had found some 40 bombs around the country and detained more than a dozen Islamist militant suspects linked to possible violence plots.

The incidents could reinforce fears violence may distract the winners of Monday's vote from dealing with such challenges as endemic corruption, terrorism and widespread poverty in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation of 140 million people.

Officials, however, played down the danger.

'Small incidents are quite likely ahead of an election but these will not leave any impact on the voting tomorrow,' said RAB chief Mahmud. 'We will step up checks and patrols, and use the strike force as may be necessary.' Some analysts are concerned that even if the election itself goes peacefully, disgruntled supporters of the losers will take to the streets, as has happened in the past.

Police head Noor Mohammad said: 'We do not see any possibility of post-election violence. If anybody tries to do something, we will take drastic action.' More than 1,500 candidates are contesting for 300 seats.

Coalitions led by ex-prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia respectively are the main competitors.

Both have said their lives are at risk, and accused one another of trying to win the polls through conspiracies.

The Election Commission said it was determined to make the vote free and impartial. Aside from security forces, about 200,000 local and 2,000 foreign monitors will be at the polling centres to check procedures.

Police said helicopters would help monitor polling and protect security in remote areas in the southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts, scene of a 25-year tribal insurgency that ended in 1997 after a deal was struck by the rebels.

Small groups of the former insurgents still agitate in some hill and forest areas, and have asked the region's tribal majority to cast a 'no vote' on Monday, local media said. -- REUTERS