The number of local observers in the December 30 election decreased significantly as the NGO Affairs Bureau has not granted the No Objection Certificate to 15 Election Working Group members until yesterday.

Leaders of the Election Working Group (EWG), an alliance of 22 local organisations that monitor election, said at least three of the 15 who did not get the NOC have already said they would not monitor the election. The other 12 would have to reduce their number of observers drastically, as they would not get foreign funds.

In that case, the number of local observers will be around 17,100 although the Election Commission had approved 25,920 local observers of 81 organisations to monitor the election on Sunday.

“The NGO Affairs Bureau has given the NOC to seven of our members until Thursday,” EWG Chairman Abdul Awal told The Daily Star.

“Democracywatch, Coast Trust and Jagarani Chakra Foundation have informed us that they will not monitor the election,” he added.

He further said that the rest have taken the decision to reduce their number of local observers due to the lack of foreign funding.

Asked about the shortage of funds, Awal said development partners were losing interest in funding election observation missions across the world.

“This can be one reason,” he said.

Their priorities for Bangladesh are also changing. Many development partners are now channeling funds for the Rohingya refugees, he added.

Awal estimated that the seven organisations that got the NOC from the NGO Affairs Bureau would deploy around 5,700 local observers.

While the remaining twelve will deploy around 700 local observers even though they got the EC's approval for 9,300 observers, he added.

Executive Director of Jagarani Chakra Foundation Azadul Kabir and Assistant Director of Coast Trust Mostafa Kamal Akond said they were withdrawing from all election monitoring activities this time due to lack of funds and to avoid all debates and misunderstandings raised.

HT Imam, co-chairman of Awami League Election Steering Committee, on December 25, demanded that the Election Commission withdraw permission given to nine local election observer organisations, as most of the observers were “activists of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami”.

The organisations are: Democracywatch, Khan Foundation, Light House, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Somonnoy Parishad, Jagarani Chakra, Nobolok, Coast Trust, Shariatpur Development Society and Noakhali Rural Development Society.

EC Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman said they approved 25,920 local observers from 81 organisations to monitor the election.

These organisations applied for the approval of 34,671 local observers, according to EC sources.

Around 1.6 lakh domestic and 600 international observers monitored the 2008 election. About 2.18 lakh domestic and 225 international observers monitored the 2001 election.

However, the number of voters and polling stations are much higher this time than in 2008.

In the 2001 polls, 29,978 polling centres were set up for 7.50 crore voters. In 2008, there were 35,263 polling centres for 8.1 crore voters.

For Sunday's election, around 40,183 polling stations will be set up for more than 10.41 crore electorates.

Though Lalmonirhat-3 has been a stronghold of the Jatiya Party, a partner in the Awami League-led grand alliance, since 1991, the Jatiya Oikyafront, led by the BNP and several other parties, is eyeing a win this time.

Oikyafront leaders said they are confident about victory as the opposition alliance fielded a well-known face in the constituency -- Lalmonirhat BNP President Asadul Habib Dulu.

Dulu will face JP Co-chair GM Quader, who was elected lawmaker twice from the constituency in 1996 and 2008. JP leader Riaz Uddin Ahmed won in the seat in 1991 and Dulu in 2001. AL leader Abu Saleh Mohammad Sayeed managed a victory in the 2014 polls when the JP fielded no candidate.

Dulu is the favourite this time as he is very well-known in the area and has always remained in contact with the voters, said Oikyafront sources.

“I am a local. So I know the sufferings of my people very well. Besides, I have worked really hard for the development of the district,” Dulu told The Daily Star on Monday.  

He termed his rival Quader, younger brother of JP chief HM Ershad, an outsider and claimed that he was totally disconnected from the voters. 

“Quader only visits the district before elections and disappears immediately,” Dulu said. “I believe the polls results will go in my favour if a peaceful voting environment is ensured.”

But Quader trashed the allegation.

“My opponents allege that I am an outsider. It is not true. In fact, I have a permanent home on the district's Hospital Road,” he told The Daily Star.

“I believe people will vote for me as I have been honest and always worked for the development of my constituency.”

Talking to these correspondents, SM Shafiqul Islam, president of the Lalmonirhat chapter of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik, a platform working for good governance, said, ”It doesn't matter whether a candidate is a local or an outsider. What matters here is whether the contender is free from corruption.” 

Nazir Ali, 62, a farmer living in Lalmonirhat Sadar's Sindurmati village, said he has always found Dulu by his side during bad times.

But Dilruba Begum, 48, another resident in the area, said though the BNP leader was popular, many locals were not happy about his party's close links with Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh's birth during the 1971 Liberation War.

Sabed Ali, 62, of Kulaghat village in the district, said the “only plus point” for Quader was that he was contesting as the AL-led alliance candidate. “He has not done anything remarkable for us.”

Visiting different areas of Lalmonirhat Sadar, these correspondents saw Quader's campaign was underway in full-swing. His posters were almost everywhere.

On the other hand, Dulu and his supporters began an energetic campaign after the army deployment on Monday, said locals.

However, BNP posters were seen only at a few places.

BNP supporters alleged police harassment even during the night. They said many of their leaders were staying outside their homes to avoid arrest.

However, SM Rashidul Haque, superintendent of police in the district, denied the allegation.  “We are not harassing anyone. We are only arresting those who are accused in different cases.” 

Deputy Commissioner Shafiul Arif, district returning officer, said, “The election environment is peaceful and no unexpected incidents took place.”

The constituency has a total of 252,243 voters.

Even the last day of electioneering was marred by attacks on four aspirants from the BNP and the Jatiya Party yesterday, leaving at least 15 people injured.

With the electioneering for the 11th parliamentary polls scheduled to end at 8:00am today, Awami League candidates were seen vigorously campaigning in different places across the country.

However, their archrival, the BNP candidates, and even candidates of Jatiya Party, AL's election ally, were hardly seen, in a scenario prevalent throughout the 17-day campaigning, when ruling party men electioneered whilst others allegedly faced attacks or police harassment.

Besides, at least 40 BNP-Jamaat men were arrested on different charges in different districts yesterday.

In Pabna, at least three supporters of Jatiya Oikyafront candidate for Pabna-1 Prof Abu Sayeed were injured when alleged AL men attacked his motorcade in Selonda Bazar area of Santhia upazila. However, Sayeed remained unhurt.

“We were out campaigning and when our motorcade reached Selonda Bazar area where a group of criminals attacked our team. They opened fire and vandalised [the vehicles],” Sayeed said, while talking to The Daily Star.

Asked, Tapon Haider Sun, Santhia upazila unit AL general secretary, said, “We are busy with our campaign. I don't know any news of such attacks.”

Contacted, Md Jahangir Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Santhia Police Station, said, “There was a police protection team but the attackers came suddenly and attacked. Police charged batons to disperse the attackers and brought the situation under control quickly.”

Sayeed had come under criminal attacks repeatedly around 17 to 18 times since campaigning began on December 10.

Elsewhere in Chattogram, at least three persons were injured when miscreants attacked the motorcade of JP aspirant for Chattogram-16 Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury in Green Park area of Banshkhali upazila yesterday morning. However, the candidate was unhurt.

“I was campaigning in the area and when my motorcade reached Green Park area, miscreants threw stones targeting our motorcade and attacked us with sharp weapons,” Mahmudul, also a former mayor of the Chattogram City Corporation, told The Daily Star.

He, however, could not identify the attackers. But he alleged that police were present on the spot and played a silent role.

Contacted, Kamal Hossain, OC of Banshkhali Police Station said, “It was not a big incident. While they [the candidate and his supporters] were returning after electioneering some miscreants threw stones at their vehicles.”

This was the second attack on Mahmudul in a span of a week. On December 21, at least 24 of his activists sustained bullets injuries when alleged ruling party men attacked his rally in Banshkhali upazila's Chambal Bazar area.

In Cumilla, nine BNP men were injured when alleged AL men attacked the campaign of BNP candidate for Cumilla-5 constituency Md Yunus in Nimshar Mokam area under Burichang upazila around 2:00pm yesterday.

Md Masud, president of Nimshar Mokam union unit Jubo league, denied the allegation and said BNP men attacked AL men who were holding a meeting in the area.

Akul Chandra Biswas, OC of Burichang Police Station, said, “Hearing news of the violence, police rushed to the spot and safely rescued the BNP candidate from the spot and took him to his residence. If the candidate files any compliant, then we will take action.”  

In Mymensingh, miscreants allegedly attacked the campaign of BNP's candidate for Mymensingh-3 M Iqbal Hossain and vandalised his car in Tangadipara village under Bokainagar union of Gouripur upazila yesterday afternoon.

Talking to journalists, Iqbal alleged that he had been campaigning at different spots since morning but when he came to Tangadipara at afternoon, miscreants attacked him with local weapons and vandalised his car to create panic among the BNP men and common people.

After the incident, Iqbal filed complaint with the local returning officer.

Iqbal also alleged that he, along with his supporters, faced obstructions in electioneering since the beginning of electioneering. He also claimed that police filed case against those who were involved BNP politics and even arrested some of them.

Contacted, OC of Gouripur Police Station Abdullah Al Mamun, said none filed any compliant regarding the incident. But he later heard that that villagers had clashed with Iqbal as he had gone there to distribute money.

Meanwhile in Kishoreganj, a local BNP leader died after suffering a cardiac arrest which was apparently triggered by police firing blanks at the residence of BNP's candidate for Kishoreganj-5 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Sararchar union under Bajitpur upazila yesterday evening.

The deceased was identified as Shaheed Miah, vice president of Sararchar union unit BNP.

BNP men alleged that Mujibur had held a press conference at noon at his residence where he expressed concerns over his life's security ahead of the polls. Later in the evening, police raided his residence where they fired blanks and beat up BNP men.

At that time, Shaheed Miah was in his nearby office.

Hearing the sound of gun fire and seeing police action on BNP men, Shaheed panicked and went into a cardiac arrest. Then, Shaheed was taken to the local hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead, said Mazaharul Islam, nephew of Shaheed.

Contacted, Shafiqul Islam, inspector (investigation) of Bajitpur police station, said a clash had erupted between the supporters of AL and BNP and police opened fire to disperse them.

Asked about the death, Shafiqul said he knew nothing about the death.

In Cox's Bazar, at least seven people were injured when police charged baton on the activists of BNP's nominee for Cox's Bazar-3 candidate Lutfor Rahman Kajol in Kurushkul while they were going to attend the last day's election rally yesterday.

Police lobbed two rounds of tear shells and fired several rounds of blanks.

Sources said activists of Kajol were coming from Cox's Bazar city and the adjoining city areas to attend the rally at the tourist city at 3:00 pm.

But police charged baton on them at several places, including Kurushkul connecting road, Kolatoli, Kalur Dokan area and Bus terminal area.

Officer-in-charge of Cox's Bazar Sadar Model Police Station Farid Uddin Khandokar said they were carrying sticks during the procession.

They tried to disperse them when they refused to leave, he said.

In a different sort of incident in Manikganj, BNP candidate for Manikganj-1 Khondaker Abdul Hamid Dablu, whose nomination was declared valid by the High Court on December 24, has been virtually confined to his residence at Pachuria village under Ghiorupazila for the last two days.

Police were maintaining a round the clock presence in front of Dablu's residence and were arresting any BNP activist who came out of his home.

Talking to The Daily Star, Bablu said none of their supporters now come to meet Dablu in fear of arrests. Besides, AL men on motorcycles ride around the residence in intervals to spread panic.

Currently, Dablu has not been able to get out of his house and conduct electioneering, alleged Bablu.

Rifat Rahman Shamim, police superintendent in the district, rejected the allegation and said police had not gone to Dablu's residence.

Meanwhile in Narayanganj, police arrested five of a family, including the parents of a supporter of independent candidate for Narayanganj-3 Abdullah Al Kaiser, from Senpara area under Kanchpur upazila in the early hours of yesterday.

Police claimed that they had recovered drugs and locally-made weapons from the arrestees. The victims' relatives rejected the allegations.

Meanwhile, an Awami League supporter has been beaten to death allegedly by BNP supporters at Nolkot village of Sylhet Sadar upazila under Sylhet-1 constituency yesterday night at around 10:00pm.

The deceased, Koysor Miah, 35, son of Mahmud Ali of the village, is a Kuwait expatriate and had recently returned to Bangladesh.

Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, president of Sylhet city AL and the convenor of AL candidate for Sylhet-1's electoral management committee, said, “He, along with some other supporter, went out of his house with the AL candidate's leaflet to distribute in the village and locked into an altercation with some BNP supporters.”

BNP supporters then apparently beat him to death.

Denying the allegation, Ali Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet district BNP, said that the incident might have been related to an intra-party feud of AL.

SM Shahadat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Jalalabad Police Station, confirmed the incident without naming any accused and said police were looking into the matter.

Besides, police arrested eight BNP-Jamaat men in Mymensingh, two in Chattogram, two in Chapainawabganj and 28 in Sylhet yesterday on different criminal charges.

Since electioneering began on December 10, motorcades, campaign rallies and offices and even houses of at least 56 contestants, mostly from BNP, have been attacked by alleged supporters of AL at different places across the country.

Around 790 BNP-Jamaat men were arrested during the time while 1,175 people, including candidates, were injured from many parties, including the left ones.

The attacks did not even spare the candidates of Jatiya Party and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, both electoral allies of the AL.

There was even no respite from violence even after deployment of army on December 24.

'SITUATION UNDER CONTROL'

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury yesterday claimed that the situation was under control. “I admit that a bit of tension is prevailing centring the election. I want to term it 'political heat',” he told reporters at the Nirbachan Bhaban.

He also said that armed forces would act only when police, Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh failed to control any untoward incident during the election.

"There are police, Rab and BGB to maintain law and order. The armed forces will intervene where police, Rab and BGB fail. The armed forces are our last resort," he added. 

Abdul Awal, 58, cannot hold back his excitement as for the first time in his life he would be voting in the 11th parliamentary polls on December 30.

Awal is one of the newly registered voters of 59 former enclaves in Lalmonirhat that became Bangladesh's territory through the implementation of Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) in 2015.

“It feels like a dream that my vote will be counted for selecting Bangladesh's government,” said Awal, a resident of Bhitorkuti under Kulaghat union.

Awal recalled how he used to visit the polling centres to witness the festivity centring elections during his childhood. But he never disclosed his identity during those times. “This time I will walk to the centre proudly and be a part of the event.”

Of the 59 former enclaves, which were Indian territory only a few years ago, two are in Kulaghat, two in Gotamari union, and the rest are in Jongra, Kuchlibari, Burimari, Srirampur, Jagatber, and Bawra unions of Patgram upazila.

Of the 10,317 people living in these former enclaves, 6.500 have been registered as voters, according to the district election office.

During a visit to Kulaghat on Monday, this correspondent found most areas covered with posters of the Awami League. Posters of Jatiya Oikyafront were seen at a few places.

Jatiya Party Co-chairman GM Quader is contesting from the Awami League-led 14-party grand alliance against Lalmonirhat BNP President Asadul Habib Dulu in Lalmonirhat-3, which includes Kulaghat union.

Both the candidates were trying to drum up support but they did not show up when the flood hit the area hard in 2014, said some of the locals.

“During the floods, no-one offered a single piece of bread but now they are coming to us seeking votes,” said Ayub Ali, a resident of Banshpochai, Kalughat.

Ayub, however, showed this correspondent the smart card, vulnerable group feeding (VGF) card, and fair price card that he received following the dissolution of the enclaves.

Pointing at the smart card, he said, “Look, the card says I am a Bangladeshi. I will cast my ballot using this card.”

The 50-year-old said his relatives living in the mainland once used to call his family “enclave people” but now no-one dares to do so.

Following the implementation of the LBA on July 31, 2015, the government set up houses, gave electricity connections, distributed VGF cards, VGD (Vulnerable Group development) cards, placed solar panels, constructed roads, tube-wells, toilets, established schools and clinics in some of the remote areas.

Many residents were unhappy as they did not have a candidate contesting with the electoral symbol “boat”, the Awami League's symbol.

Shahtun Khatun, 55, said she was “finally freed from the curse of enclave” because of the initiative by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Alluding to GM Quader, she said, “Nevertheless, I will vote for her [Hasina's] candidate, I will pick plough [election symbol of Jatiya Party],” said the resident of Bhitorkuti in Kalurghat.

Asadul Hasib Dulu, president of Lalmonirhat BNP and Oikyafront nominee, pledged employment opportunities. Dulu said, “We will focus on education of the residents, including taking responsibility of meritorious but poor students.”

In Lalmonirhat-1, Lalmonirhat Awami League President Motahar Hossain is running. The constituency has 55 former enclaves.

If elected, development of infrastructures would continue in the areas, said Motahar. The Awami League would set up schools, colleges, and create employment opportunities, he added.