- Non-stop campaigning of candidates and their supporters
- Rumours of not declaring results at centre, appeal to returning officer
- Presiding officer accused of seeking votes for the boat
- Sporadic clashes & threats are going on many places
According to the schedule, the election campaign has been running on December 18 to till 8am on January 5. Today is the last day of campaigning. In the last moments of the campaign, the candidates have no sleep, no rest. Especially among the 300 constituencies, the candidates who are popular and likely to be ahead in the election are making relentless efforts so that voters are interested in voting for their own symbols.
The candidates of the election believed that the election will be free and fair. As a reason, they think that the main rival of the government or Awami League (AL) is Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. Since these two parties are not in the election, there is no fear of losing power. As a result, if any candidate other than boat wins, he may be an alliance partner, political ally or independent candidate who was deprived of AL’s nomination. As a result, whoever will pass the popularity criterion is either AL’s man or an ally of AL.
It was known that at the last moment, along with the campaign, people of one candidate are threatening another candidate. There are often engaging in conflicts. Some of the candidates are expressing apprehension that the vote may not be counted at the center. In some areas, the candidate himself is seeking votes under other symbols. Again, a former AL MP is seeking votes for the plow symbol. In this way, many dramas are visible before the vote.
A clash broke out between AL and Jubo League leaders in Faridganj over an altercation over election at a tea stall in Chandpur-4 constituency. Injured municipal Jubo League general secretary SM Sohel Rana and AL leader Mamun Gazi filed written complaints against each other. In the complaint, SM Sohel Rana mentioned the incident over the election of boat and eagle symbols, but Mamun Gazi mentioned personal disputes. The incident took place on Wednesday morning.
Local AL leaders and supporters are busy campaigning for independent candidate Hashem Reza in Chuadanga-2 constituency. The central AL leader is contesting as an independent candidate with the truck symbol. Apart from the local AL people, he is very popular among the common people. He is campaigning there, including various street meetings, courtyard meetings, where he is getting the response of thousands of people. If elected, the young leader of the AL is declaring to keep people from all walks of life, including the youth of the area, away from all kinds of drugs. Moreover, Hashem Reza pledged to always be engaged in the welfare of the farmers, workers and working people of the area. He thinks that if a fair election is held and people can reflect their wishes, the truck symbol will win in this constituency.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party (JaPa) nominated candidate for Tangail-7 Mirzapur constituency Jahirul Islam Zahir has withdrawn from the election and sought votes for the truck symbol. He is a presidium member of the JaPa. Jahir sought votes for independent candidate Mir Enayet Hossain Montu with the truck symbol. On January 2, at an election rally at Kamarpara Bazar of Bhaora Union of the upazila, he withdrew from the election and sought votes for an independent candidate.
Begumganj Upazila AL expelled 12 leaders and activists of Begumganj upazila AL, including its president, from the party for ordering them to crush those who vote in boat. Mamunur Rashid Kiron, general secretary of Begumganj upazila AL and AL’s candidate for Begumganj constituency, made the announcement at a press conference at the conference room of Gemab Industrial Group in Begumganj BSCIC on Tuesday night.
Ishwarganj upazila AL president and former valiant freedom fighter MP Abdus Sattar urged people to cast their votes for the development of Ishwarganj. He said this while addressing two separate election rallies of Jatiya Party Presidium Member and MP candidate Fakhrul Imam at Tarundia and Uchakhila of the upazila on Tuesday night. He said, "I have been nominated for the boat three times, but I have withdrawn the nomination at the decision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and I am working in the field with the party leaders and activists for the nominated candidate of the JaPa."
Mohiuddin Maharaj, an independent candidate for Pirojpur-2 (Kaukhali, Bhandaria and Nesarabad) constituency, has appealed to the Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer of Pirojpur to hold the 12th parliamentary election in a free and fair manner. The petition was filed for spreading rumors that the results would not be announced at the polling center. He submitted an application to the district returning officer on January 3. According to the application signed by independent candidate Mohiuddin Maharaj's personal assistant Abdullah Al Masud, the election symbol of Pirojpur-2 constituency independent candidate Mohiuddin Maharaj is the eagle. Their rival JaPa candidate Anwar Hossain Manju is spreading various rumors in the constituency. Their leaders and activists are spreading rumours that agents or voters of any candidate other than their workers will not be allowed to enter the polling centers on the voting day. Their workers also said, "The results will not be announced from the polling centers, the results will be announced from the returning officer's office in Pirojpur. That is, they want to understand that the administration will declare their candidate the winner on its own initiative. He mentioned in the petition that such rumors have appeared as a threat to the employees.
Supporters of Sirajul Islam Mollah, an independent candidate for Narsingdi-3 (Shibpur) constituency, were attacked and the election office vandalized. This allegation has been received against the supporters of the boat. Four supporters of an independent candidate, including a man and a woman, were injured. Shibpur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Farid Uddin confirmed the matter. The incident took place at Ashrafpur area of Shibpur municipality on Saturday afternoon. Miscreants set fire to the election camp of 'boat' in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur. The incident took place at Koikhali village under ward no 2 of Algi union of the upazila on Saturday morning. Bhanga Police Station OC Mamunur Rashid confirmed the matter.
A supporter of independent candidate Obaidur Rahman of Rajshahi-5 (Puthia-Durgapur) constituency said that he would vote for the boat symbol in the election campaign of the eagle symbol. On January 2, Zila Parishad member Abul Kalam Azad Bachchu, a supporter of the eagle symbol, delivered the concluding speech at a street meeting held at Kishorepur Government Primary School ground after the election campaign of the eagle symbol in Deluabari union of Durgapur. At the end of the speech, he said to the people, vote for the boat all day on the 7th January. Later, he asked for votes on the eagle symbol because he was wrong. The media has the video of seeking votes in the boat. Two presiding officers of Dhaka-20 Dhamrai have been accused of taking part in election campaign for AL candidate Benazir Ahmed, who is also the president of the parliamentary standing committee on the home ministry. On January 2, independent candidate Mohaddes Hossain lodged a complaint with the election officer.
Earlier on November 15, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal announced the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election. He said the elections to 300 seats will be held on January 7. According to the schedule, the last date for submission of nomination papers was November 30, scrutiny was held from December 1 to 4, appeals and hearings against the decision of the returning officer were held from December 6 to 15 and the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers was December 17. The symbols were allocated on December 18. The campaign will begin on December 18 and continue till 8:00 am on January 5. According to the CEC, the appointments of 66 returning officers and 592 assistant returning officers have been finalized. The Election Commission has already finalized the voter list based on 300 seats for the 12th parliamentary elections. According to the list, the total number of voters is 11 crore 96 lakh 91 thousand 633. Of these, 6 crore 7 lakh 71 thousand 579 voters are male. There are 5 crore 89 lakh 19 thousand 202 female voters and 852 voters of the third gender. There were 10 crore 42 lakh 38 thousand 677 voters in the eleventh parliamentary election. As a result, the number of voters in the country has increased by 1 crore 54 lakh 52 thousand 956 in 5 years.
ARS
