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09:44 PM, December 22, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 10:00 PM, December 22, 2018

BNP candidate 'attacked' in Netrakona

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Netrakona-1 BNP candidate came under attack allegedly by the Awami League men during electoral campaign in Kalmakanda upazila of Netrakona today.

Kayser Kamal, the BNP candidate from Kalmakanda-Durgapur constituency, alleged that the activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League attacked them when he along with some his supporters were returning to Kalmakanda upazila headquarters from Udaypur area in Borokhapon union in the morning.

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The activists of student and youth fronts of the ruling party also vandalised eight motorbikes and torched one, Kayser alleged.

He also alleged that AL men obstructed them when they were electioneering in Aambari Bazar area in Pogla union and in Udaypur area in Borokhapon union earlier in the morning.

However, no one was reported to be injured in the incidents.

Denying the allegations, Kalmakanda UP chairman Fakrul Islam Firoz, also a member of Shecchasebok League central body, said no such incidents have occurred.

Md Zakir Hossain, UNO of Kalmakanda, said that he was informed about the incidents and asked the officer-in-charge of Kalmakanda Police Station to investigate the incidents.

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At least 20 BNP leaders and activists including its Khagrachhari district unit President Wadud Bhuiyan were injured in an attack allegedly by Awami League men while campaigning in Ramgarh upazila today.

Wadud, also a former MP and chairman of Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board, came under attack around 11:30am when he along with his party men was electioneering for Jatiya Oikyafront candidate Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan Farhad, BNP sources said.

At least 20 BNP men including senior leaders of district unit Jobo Dal, Chhatra Dal and other front organisations were injured in the attack by the “ruling party men”, they claimed.

The injured were given treatment at Khagrachhari District Sadar Hospital.

Confirming the news of the clash between AL and BNP men, Ahmar Uzzaman, superintendent of police in Khagrachhari told The Daily Star that police later rushed to the spot and contained the situation.

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Bangladesh government has opened a media centre at a luxury hotel in Dhaka to relay election information to journalists on the day of December 30 election.

Top officials of the information and foreign ministry were present at the launching of the media centre at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka in the morning.

Abdul Malek, secretary to Ministry of Information said, the centre will provide all types of information till December 31 midnight to foreign and local journalists and election observers.

Md Shahidul Haque, foreign affairs secretary, said two hundred foreign observers and 50 overseas journalists who will be catered information from the centre.

Besides, the centre will provide security and visa related necessary information as well as online facilities to the overseas journalists and election observers.

The election result provided by the EC will also be displayed through Bangladesh Television (BTV) at the media centre.

Five officials and staffs of the information ministry will work at the media centre round the clock. The media centre will keep communication with the EC through two hot lines.

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Afroza Abbas, a BNP candidate of Dhaka-9 constituency, and her supporters came under attack today while campaigning in Dakshin Goran in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area.

Around 15-20 AL men attacked Afroza Abbas and her party men after they crossed Khilgaon Railgate area around 11:15 am, BNP sources said.

Later, more ruling party activists joined the attackers and damaged the campaign materials ensuing a clash, the sources claimed.

Afroza Abbas, a BNP candidate of Dhaka-9 constituency, and her supporters come under attack on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 while campaigning in Dakshin Goran in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area. Photo: Collected

Around 15 to 20 men of both the parties were injured during the clash, party sources said.

On December 12, BCL men allegedly attacked the motorcade of Afroza Abbas during campaign in Dhaka. They damaged the car of the BNP leader and left her driver injured.

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This week marks one year of the incumbent Election Commission (EC) in office, which also coincided with the National Voters' Day. Far from being an occasion for celebration, however, the reigning mood appears to be one of trepidation, with the general election less than a year away. The biggest worry is, will people again be denied the opportunity to exercise their franchise? As things stand, it seems unlikely that the EC will succeed in holding free and fair elections. Despite all the talk of creating a level playing field for the political parties, so far, it has failed to make any progress in that respect. The ruling Awami League has routinely gotten away with obstructing political programmes held by BNP in the most blatant of ways.

one year of Bangladesh election commission

EC in second year must do a better job

While demands made by the ruling party have been given priority over the concerns expressed by the opposition – for example, over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) – another factor that is of great concern is the negligible involvement of voters in the election process. Tussles between the main political parties have dominated the election narrative ever since this EC took over a year ago, just like they did during the tenures of the previous two ECs. And the role and space for voters have continued to shrink to historic lows. The appalling voter turnout in recent local elections and parliamentary by-polls illustrated the lack of confidence in the EC's ability – partly due to the partisan role of the administration and partly due to its own unwillingness to take firm action – to oversee a fair transfer of power. That, of course, should come as no surprise after what happened during the last two general elections of 2014 and 2018.

AL needs to hold accountable its members

Besides the endless political controversies, harassment and intimidation of voters, denying them the chance to vote for their preferred candidates and, in some cases, forcing them to vote for specific candidates, fraudulent voting in secret booths, ballot-box stuffing, and many other irregularities during the last two elections have all but destroyed our democratic process, as well as voters' willingness to participate in such farcical exercises. Unfortunately, despite initial promise, the current EC has been unable to reverse that perception with its questionable handling of election-related irregularities. Many have rightly raised the question that if the EC cannot control the administration and law enforcement personnel during local elections, what hope does it have of doing so during the general elections where the stakes are much higher?

Attacks on BNP's countrywide protest marches

Attacks on BNP are condemnable

The EC itself has done little to alleviate such concerns. And the recent statement by the chief election commissioner – that political parties should participate in the election of their own volition, as the EC cannot do anything more to persuade them – is deeply worrying. How can the EC expect that when the conditions it has created so far are nowhere near satisfactory? For the sake of our democracy – or whatever is left of it anyway – the EC must do more to fulfil its constitutional mandate. It must ensure that power is returned to the people after two controversial and largely non-participatory elections.

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Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today said no development is meaningful if people's right is not established in the country.

Dr Kamal, also president of Gonoforum, a component of Oikyafront, said this at a press briefing held at the alliance’s Purana Paltan office in Dhaka this afternoon.

However, he in a press statement expressed hope that if the government and the Election Commission hatch any blueprint for the national election, then people of the country will foil it.

Calling upon the countrymen to go to the polling stations and cast votes, Dr Kamal said, “Through casting votes to your desired candidates, ensure your (people) ownership of the country and restore its democracy”.

“The EC has to take full responsibility if it fails to hold a free, fair and credible election on December 30 and the countrymen will compel it to answer for its failure,” he said in the statement.

“The EC must ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding a free and fair election,” the Oikyafront key leader said.

About the role of law enforcers ahead of the election, he said, “Their behaviour is not acceptable”.

He alleged that police along with the ruling party men have been putting bar on the opposition candidates during their electioneering.

BNP candidate 'attacked' in Netrakona

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EC in second year must do a better job

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