A black spot on Dhaka-17 by-polls
The attack on Hero Alom, an independent candidate of the just-concluded Dhaka-17 by-election, after forcing him to leave a polling centre, is a black spot in an otherwise uneventful and predictable election. Reportedly, the attackers wore badges of "boat" and were ruling party supporters. The meagre voter turnout – of only 11.51 percent – reflected the lack of enthusiasm for an election with no serious challenger to the ruling party candidate, the winner being left with a position of Member of Parliament (MP) for only a few months. His victory was, frankly, a forgone conclusion, and in that sense, bears no significance.
What we would like to highlight, however, is the mind-set behind the violent attack on Hero Alom. The assault was typical of ruling party supporters becoming overenthusiastic about proving their loyalty to their high-ups by resorting to intimidation of a rival candidate. Whether or not it was a party decision – or one instigated by the ruling party candidate, who has criticised the attack and said that an investigation should be carried out – will be proven by what action the AL takes on the attackers. But it is undeniable that these supporters felt empowered enough to openly swoop on Hero Alom and felt there would be no consequences for their actions.
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Also, what about the role of the police? While they tried to intervene when the situation was escalating within the polling centre premises, they took no action once Hero Alom ran outside the centre, and was thrown onto the street, beaten up and then chased by the attackers when he started to dart off in fear. How can the police explain their inaction when there were police personnel present? We can only imagine what could have happened if Hero Alom had not been able to escape.
The onus to prevent such violence is on the ruling party. We would like to see its leadership give out a clear message to its supporters – not just in words but through stern action – that indulging in violence to prove party loyalty will not be accepted. In this particular case, the attack should be severely condemned and the perpetrators given exemplary punishment for their crime. Moreover, the Election Commission and other relevant authorities must investigate why the police did not protect the victim when he was outside the centre. Their claim that the incident happened outside the centre and did not interfere with the voting does not absolve them of the responsibility to protect all candidates and maintain law and order both inside and outside polling centres, especially in the close proximity of where the voting takes place.
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