Ruling 14-party alliance today alleged that opposition BNP and its alliance Jatiya Oikyafront are trying to make army and December 30 elections “questionable”.

“Army is deployed as per the demands of BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront. Now they are trying to make the army questionable,” 14-party alliance leader Dilip Barua told reporters after handing over a letter to the EC secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed.

Dilip Barua led a delegation that protested attack on Awami League activists and sought EC's steps on stopping the conspiracy of BNP and Oikyafront.   

“They [BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront] are trying to make December 30 election dubious by raising one after another false allegations” Dilip also said.

BNP today alleged that the government has resorted to a 'deep-rooted conspiracy' over the life of its chairperson Khaleda Zia by snatching her right to receive treatment.

"Khaleda Zia is still sick. The government has snatched her right to get necessary treatment. The government has indulged in a deep-rooted plot over her life," said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press briefing at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he also alleged that the government is repressing Khaleda mentally by not allowing her relatives to meet her.

The BNP leader also said the lower court is delaying the hearing on bail petitions of Khaleda in different cases at the behest of the government. "The government is applying all the ways to repress Begum Zia."

He also accused the government of harassing BNP leaders and activists through the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Referring to filing of a case against BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas by the ACC, Rizvi said, "After harassing BNP leaders and activists by filing cases and attacking them by police across the country, now opposition leaders are being harassed by the Anti-Corruption Commission."

He claimed that the ACC filed the case against Abbas and Afroza as they contested the 11th parliamentary election as BNP candidates, and took a strong stance in favour of BNP and democracy. "We would like to say the ACC is working as a weapon to oppress the opposition."

The BNP leader said though the ruling party leaders and activists 'plundered' thousands of crores of taka from finical institutions, including banks, the ACC has turned a blind eye to them.

Rizvi alleged that the ruling party men kept repressing and attacking BNP leaders and activists ‘setting fire to their houses’ at different parts of the country since the December-30 national election.

"People are passing their days amid deep worry due to the post-election violence. A tense situation has been prevailing all over the country due to the prevailing acts of terror. A serious censorship has been imposed so that the media can't publish news on repressive acts," he further alleged.

Alleging mass discrimination to push it out of election, major political opposition Jatiya Oikyafront says it is now depending on the vote of the people.

“It's too apparent, the arrangement is complete to oust Oikyafront from the election,” Dr Kamal Hossain, key leader of the alliance, said in a press statement.

He alleged that the government had made “the arrangement” by pulling strings of the administration, judiciary, law enforcers, goons and the Election Commission.

“At this point, the people's vote is our hope. Voters never made a mistake in the past and they never will,” Kamal said.

He hoped that people would unite and overcome all challenges to appear for voting at the centres during the election on Sunday.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over Kamal's safety, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday offered to provide security for him.

Kamal, also the convener of Jatiya Oikyafront, however said he will seek police security only if he feels the need for it.

 Some DMP mid rank officials went to Kamal's chamber in Dhaka's Motijheel to discuss “security issues” around 12:10pm yesterday.

Prior to the meeting, several police teams took position in front of the chamber.

The meeting took place a day after a Jatiya Oikyafront delegation, led by Kamal, walked out of a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda following a heated exchange over the role of police during electioneering.

After meeting with the DMP, Kamal told reporters that the police officials said they would take security measures for him at both his house and chamber if needed.

“They even said they would provide transport security,” Kamal said.

Even though the DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia was supposed to meet Kamal, he could not go due to some other commitment and sent his apologies, he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Motijheel Division Anwar Hossain claimed that Kamal has expressed satisfaction over the security measures taken for him by law enforcers.

“We're here as part of our regular duty. We had an open discussion and wanted to know if he [Kamal] has any observations regarding his security and he said he'll inform us over phone if he notices anything,” Anwar said.

Responding to a question on whether the alliance would stay in the election, Kamal said, “We have to hold on to this. So that they [rivals] cannot say that we moved away. This is our right. Why should we move away? If they make it impossible at the end of the day, then people will see.”

He also said, “The government's actions are casting doubt regarding the credibility and fairness of the polls.”

Meanwhile Bangladesh Police Service Association protested a comment about police made by Kamal during Tuesday's meeting with the CEC.

“His comment was motivated, objectionable and inconsiderate,” they said in a statement.

Kamal, at the meeting, had said some police officials were “acting like beasts".

The United States has said unlawful or political killings, forced disappearances, life-threatening prison conditions, freedom of speech limitations, negative government pressure on and fear of reprisal by press and media, and impunity for security force abuses were the most significant human rights problems in Bangladesh last year.

US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo formally released the 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and delivered on-camera remarks yesterday morning at the press briefing room of US Department of State in Washington DC.

There were reports of widespread impunity for security force abuses last year, while the Bangladesh government took few measures to investigate and prosecute cases of abuse and killing by security forces, said the report.

It also considered a number of rights issues, such as torture, arbitrary detentions, corruption, trafficking, overly restrictive NGO laws, workers' rights, use of the worst forms of child labour, and violence against LGBTI persons; unlawful interference into privacy, censorship, site blocking, peaceful assembly and freedom of association; criminal libel; restrictions on freedom of movement, political participation, trade unions.

On the role of the police and security Apparatus, the US report said though civilian authorities maintained effective control over military and other security forces and the government had mechanisms to investigate abuses and corruption by them, those were not regularly employed.

The report said the government neither released statistics on total killings by security personnel nor took comprehensive measures to investigate them.

 In regards to the security forces' continued abuses with impunity, it identified lengthy trial procedures, retribution, and police having ties to ruling party men who occupy key positions in law and enforcement agencies.

“Reluctance to bring charges against police also perpetuated a climate of impunity,” it added.

On elections and political participation, the report termed the December parliamentary elections “lop-sided” and said it was considered to be marred by irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and intimidation of opposition polling agents and voters.

It said the government mobilised law enforcement resources to level civil and criminal charges against opposition party leaders.

The report also highlighted numerous reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings committed by the government or its agents.

It said Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reported security forces killed more than 400 individuals in crossfire incidents from January through September. Odhikar, another rights body, reported the number to be 415 from January through October.

The anti-narcotics drive in May resulted in an increase of reported extrajudicial killings relative to last year.

Human rights organisations and civil society contended the drive was a government effort to exert increased political control over the populace before the national election.

The report also highlighted claims that the government made limited efforts to prevent or investigate forced disappearances. HRSS stated there were 58 enforced disappearances from January through September. Odhikar said the number was 83 from January to November.

In terms of freedom of expression, it said the government sometimes failed to respect the right.

There were significant limitations on freedom of speech with self-censorship persisting due to harassment and fear of reprisal.

It said both print and online independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views; however, media outlets that criticised the government experienced negative government pressure.

Civil society said political interference influenced the licensing process, since all television channel licenses granted by the government were for stations supporting the ruling party.

There were also incidents of journalists coming under attack by ruling party loyalists and intelligence men.

Independent journalists alleged intelligence services influenced media outlets in part by withholding financially important government advertising and pressed private companies to withhold their advertising as well.

In September parliament passed the Digital Security Act, claiming it was intended to reduce cybercrimes. Human rights groups, journalists, media outlets, and political opposition parties denounced the DSA as intended to suppress freedom and criminalise free speech.