Around two weeks before the national polls, the Awami League-led alliance candidates are dominating the electioneering scene in cities, district towns and even villages while the picture is quite the opposite for the contestants of the BNP-led alliance.

Against the backdrop of numerous incidents of electoral violence in the last week, which left two dead and over 200 injured, the election atmosphere has become subdued.

Over a hundred places experienced such violent clashes between supporters of BNP and AL. An uneasy calm prevails in cities and district towns as many have kept themselves away from campaigning, according to reports of our district correspondents. The situation in the capital is no exception as it too saw such violence.

Meanwhile, the opposition party men are campaigning on a limited scale for what they claimed was to avoid arrests and harassment by police and attacks by political opponents.

On the other hand, AL supporters and party men set up election offices and decorated campaign gates in their respective constituencies with songs blaring out of loudspeakers.

The ruling party candidates have hit the campaign trail in the capital by making door-to-door visits, bringing out processions, holding meetings and distributing leaflets. Their posters cover most of the capital's streets.

However, an insignificant number of posters of the BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront candidates were found in a few places. The BNP leaders alleged that they were not electioneering to avoid arrests as law enforcing agencies were continuing arrests and filing cases against the party men.

"BNP activists are being arrested every day. Even today, three of my party men were arrested when they were hanging posters. How could we conduct the campaigning?" said Saiful Alam Nirob, a contender for Dhaka-12.

He alleged that police were raiding houses of BNP leaders and activists, forcing many of their party men to remain on the run.

A few BNP candidates, including Mirza Abbas, Afroza Abbas and Salauddin Ahmed, however, are conducting electioneering in full throttle in the capital.

But voters in the capital said they were yet to see the election fever.

"The election of 2014 was an exception; but during the previous elections, we saw our locality used to be covered with posters of all candidates -- be it of the ruling party or the opposition. But that was missing this year," said 60-year old Hamidul Islam, a resident of West Jatrabari.

The second week of campaigning starts today with the candidates and their respective parties expected to gear up for their electoral campaign in the next few days.

After the first round of campaigning, AL President Sheikh Hasina will hold rallies in Sylhet, Dhaka and Rangpur between December 21 and December 24 to drum up public support for the party candidates.

Hasina will address a rally in the city's Gulshan area on December 21, said Biplob Barua, assistant office secretary of AL.

Then, she will visit two shrines in Sylhet on December 22 and also attend a rally, he added.

On December 23, she will visit Pirganj and Taraganj in Rangpur and hold rallies there. The AL president will address another rally the next day in Kamrangirchar of Dhaka.

Jatiya Oikyafront, an opposition alliance consisting of BNP and several other parties, will start holding public rallies at Cumilla, Feni, Laksham and Noakhali on December 19.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said, "No evil force can foil the upcoming election.

"We will continue working so that we can ensure good governance," he said after paying homage at the Shaheed Muktijuddha Mausoleum in Feni.

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, general secretary of Sylhet district unit of AL, said that the electioneering was going on full pace and the candidates were campaigning according to the permitted way.

However, BNP candidate from Sylhet-1 Khandakar Abdul Muktadir alleged that the leaders of the party were being harassed and threatened everyday and their posters were being ripped off.

"Police are raiding our leaders' and activists' houses every night, threatening them and misbehaving with their family members since the schedule of the election has been declared," he said at a press briefing yesterday.

Contacted, noted writer and columnist Syed Manzoorul Islam found both positive and negative sides in the first week of electioneering.

"The positive sign is that violence did not erupt in a large scale and that young voters are discussing politics in social media. But the negative sides are attacks on candidates," said Manzoorul, a retired professor of Dhaka University.

Regrettably, the Election Commission is yet to take any strong step against the violent activities, he said.

Main opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront, in its manifesto, said that relationship with India will be strengthened further on the basis of equality.

Bangladesh will join the projects beneficial for Bangladesh under the One Belt, One Road initiative by China, the manifesto further revealed under the party’s foreign policy plans.  

Issues of Teesta and other common river water sharing and Rohingya issue will be resolved through bilateral discussion at the earliest, the manifesto added.

Steps will be taken to strengthen Saarc and other regional groups, it said.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and a leader of the Oikyafront, today unveiled the manifesto at a press briefing at a hotel in Dhaka.

WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?

The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.

The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?

Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.

Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?

The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.

The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.

Major opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront has promised mass reforms in the health sector, including bringing down the cost of medical treatment.

• 31 bed Upazila health complex to become 50 bed hospitals
• Mandatory 1yr deployment of intern doctors in rural areas
• Reducing cost of medicine, medical tests
• Establishment of Ombudsman for discipline in health sector
• Health cards for all citizens

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Nagorik Oikya convener and a leader of Oikyafront, read out the charter of the opposition alliance in Dhaka city today.

WHAT IS JATIYA OIKYAFRONT?

The Jatiya Oikyafront is an alliance of the BNP, Dr Kamal Hossain-led Jatiya Oikya Prokriya, ASM Abdur Rob’s Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s Nagorik Oikya.

The Oikyafront was formed on October 13 with the demands of a national election under a neutral government after dissolution of parliament and release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S AGENDAS?

Formed with major political oppositions to ruling alliance, the Oikyafront includes ruling Awami League’s arch opposition BNP.

Currently, they are campaigning with a seven-point charter including freedom for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and election under a nonpartisan government.

WHAT ARE OIKYAFRONT’S DEMANDS?

The 11-point goal announced by the alliance includes ensuring checks and balances in the state power, decentralisation of administration, freeing MPs from the stringent restrictions imposed on them under article 70 of the constitution, formation of a constitutional commission to make appointments to all constitutional and other important posts and full independence of the judiciary.

The alliance also announced a seven-point demand, including the one for holding the next parliamentary election under a nonpartisan government, dissolution of parliament before the polls and reconstitution of the Election Commission.