At least<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-probes-vote-rigging-allegations-in-election-hit-by-violence-187362"> three voters in southeast Bangladesh</a>, including a journalist, told Reuters on Sunday that they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in, hours after voting began in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-polls-ten-killed-in-election-day-clashes-following-violent-campaign-187334">nation's general election.</a>

The journalist, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, said activists of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party in Chittagong, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/polls-close-in-bangladesh-election-marred-by-violence-12-dead-187346">Bangladesh's</a> second-largest city, warned him and other voters at the polling centre not to go inside.

"They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast," the journalist told Reuters by phone, adding that there were five other voters around him at the time at the polling centre set up at the national primary school in Chittagong's Kotwali area.

"I am hearing the same thing happening at several other polling booths in Chittagong," the journalist said.

His comments add to accusations by several leaders of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who have alleged rigging and vote manipulation by the Awami League.

The Awami League said opposition supporters were wrongly accusing the party.

The Election Commission said it had received complaints of rigging that it was investigating. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," the agency's spokesman SM Asaduzzaman said. “If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules”.

At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in political clashes on Sunday by the time voting ended at 1000 hours GMT. At least six candidates of the opposition National Unity Front alliance said they had pulled out alleging rigging.

When Rasel, a 34-year-old voter in Chittagong, went down to the polling centre set up at a local polytechnic college in his area, he said about 30 people stopped him from entering the booth. He knew at least one of them was an Awami League activist, he said.

"They told me that 'voting is going on nicely, you don’t need to go inside'. If you try to enter, you will be in trouble'," Rasel, who declined to give his second name fearing reprisals, told Reuters by phone. He turned back without voting.

Hasina has promised to conduct a "free and fair" election and earlier this month said in a public speech that she would not try to win the election using "unfair means." She is seeking a third straight term in power.

At a polling centre in the Umkhali south of Chittagong, a cab driver named Ali said his family had to turn back from the polling centre as ruling party workers there told them their votes had already been cast.

"I am very disappointed that there will not be a fair result in this election," he told Reuters by phone.

'They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast,' a journalist told Reuters by phone.

At least three voters in southeast Bangladesh, including a journalist, told Reuters on Sunday that they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in, hours after voting began in the nation's general election. The journalist, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, said activists of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second-largest city, warned him and other voters at the polling centre not to go inside. "They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast," the journalist told Reuters by phone, adding that there were five other voters around him at the time at the polling centre set up at the national primary school in Chittagong's Kotwali area. "I am hearing the same thing happening at several other polling booths in Chittagong," the journalist said. His comments add to accusations by several leaders of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who have alleged rigging and vote manipulation by the Awami League. The Awami League said opposition supporters were wrongly accusing the party. The Election Commission said it had received complaints of rigging that it was investigating. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," the agency's spokesman SM Asaduzzaman said. “If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules”. At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in political clashes on Sunday by the time voting ended at 1000 hours GMT. At least six candidates of the opposition National Unity Front alliance said they had pulled out alleging rigging. When Rasel, a 34-year-old voter in Chittagong, went down to the polling centre set up at a local polytechnic college in his area, he said about 30 people stopped him from entering the booth. He knew at least one of them was an Awami League activist, he said. "They told me that 'voting is going on nicely, you don’t need to go inside'. If you try to enter, you will be in trouble'," Rasel, who declined to give his second name fearing reprisals, told Reuters by phone. He turned back without voting. Hasina has promised to conduct a "free and fair" election and earlier this month said in a public speech that she would not try to win the election using "unfair means." She is seeking a third straight term in power. At a polling centre in the Umkhali south of Chittagong, a cab driver named Ali said his family had to turn back from the polling centre as ruling party workers there told them their votes had already been cast. "I am very disappointed that there will not be a fair result in this election," he told Reuters by phone.

Didn't need to go inside, votes already been filled in: Voters in Bangladesh allege being barred from polling

Bangladesh polls 2018: Over 1,800 candidates in fray and other key facts

Bangladesh's general election campaign ended Friday with more deadly violence and arrests of opposition activists which have raised international concern as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term.

A ruling Awami League party supporter was killed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) followers, police said. The BNP claimed 19 more of its activists had been detained ahead of Sunday's vote.

Authorities suspended high-speed 3G and 4G internet services for several hours in an effort to fight what a telecoms watchdog official called the "propaganda" fuelling unrest.

The official campaign ended after seven weeks of widespread street clashes and accusations of an official crackdown on the opposition.&nbsp;

An opinion poll indicated Hasina is favourite to win despite the controversy.

Police said the Awami League supporter was beaten to death in the northeastern city of Sylhet late Thursday.

They had already reported the deaths of two Awami League activists since the campaign opened on November 8. The BNP says eight of its supporters have been killed in election clashes.

Sylhet police chief Shah Harunur Rashid told AFP that two BNP supporters had been arrested for the latest killing. The BNP denied any involvement.

Nineteen BNP activists were arrested when police and paramilitary guards raided the election camp of a party candidate and several villages in southern Bangladesh, police and BNP officials told AFP.

Police were also investigating a suspicious fire at the headquarters of the National Unity Front opposition alliance in Dhaka on Friday.&nbsp;

Thousands of Awami League supporters rallied in the capital as candidates made a last-minute pitch for votes.

The BNP, which says thousands of its activists have been locked up as part of a bid to rig the election, said it had been prevented from holding its final rally in Dhaka.

Hasina has shrugged off accusations of using authoritarian tactics, and concentrated her final campaign on urging Bangladesh's 104 million voters to give her a new term to boost the impoverished South Asian nation's economic development.&nbsp;

The economy has grown at an average of 6.3 percent every year since she won a landslide in December 2008. She has vowed to improve this.

"Much work is still pending and it depends on the people casting a vote for us. Then we will be able to return to power and complete the work," she said late Thursday.

International concern

The BNP accuses the prime minister of clamping down on democracy and freedom of speech -- including over the jailing of its leader Khaleda Zia this year on graft charges.

The party says that 9,222 workers and supporters were arrested during the election campaign and that half of its candidates were attacked by ruling party supporters.

Its Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, says more than 3,600 of its activists were also detained.

The opposition has depended on social media to lobby for votes, saying that harassment has confined many candidates to their homes.

But it stepped up its call for people to vote on Sunday. "On that day this country will be yours. You will take back its ownership," BNP deputy chief Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said in a video posted to Facebook.

The campaign troubles have put Bangladesh in the international spotlight.

US ambassador Earl Miller said "the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks," following a meeting with Bangladesh's election chief late Thursday.

He added that while all parties have been victims, "it appears opposition party candidates have borne the brunt of most violence."

Miller said everyone in Bangladesh must be able to vote "without harassment, intimidation, or violence".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for a vote "free of violence, intimidation and coercion," according to a spokesman.

Sheikh Hasina won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was not free and fair, gifting her a return to power.

Since her last victory, civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina's government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press.

Zia, an arch-rival of the prime minister, was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges that her party says are politically motivated.

Authorities suspended high-speed 3G and 4G internet services for several hours in an effort to fight what a telecoms watchdog official called the 'propaganda' fuelling unrest.

Bangladesh's general election campaign ended Friday with more deadly violence and arrests of opposition activists which have raised international concern as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term. A ruling Awami League party supporter was killed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) followers, police said. The BNP claimed 19 more of its activists had been detained ahead of Sunday's vote. Authorities suspended high-speed 3G and 4G internet services for several hours in an effort to fight what a telecoms watchdog official called the "propaganda" fuelling unrest. The official campaign ended after seven weeks of widespread street clashes and accusations of an official crackdown on the opposition. An opinion poll indicated Hasina is favourite to win despite the controversy. Police said the Awami League supporter was beaten to death in the northeastern city of Sylhet late Thursday. They had already reported the deaths of two Awami League activists since the campaign opened on November 8. The BNP says eight of its supporters have been killed in election clashes. Sylhet police chief Shah Harunur Rashid told AFP that two BNP supporters had been arrested for the latest killing. The BNP denied any involvement. Nineteen BNP activists were arrested when police and paramilitary guards raided the election camp of a party candidate and several villages in southern Bangladesh, police and BNP officials told AFP. Police were also investigating a suspicious fire at the headquarters of the National Unity Front opposition alliance in Dhaka on Friday. Thousands of Awami League supporters rallied in the capital as candidates made a last-minute pitch for votes. The BNP, which says thousands of its activists have been locked up as part of a bid to rig the election, said it had been prevented from holding its final rally in Dhaka. Hasina has shrugged off accusations of using authoritarian tactics, and concentrated her final campaign on urging Bangladesh's 104 million voters to give her a new term to boost the impoverished South Asian nation's economic development. The economy has grown at an average of 6.3 percent every year since she won a landslide in December 2008. She has vowed to improve this. "Much work is still pending and it depends on the people casting a vote for us. Then we will be able to return to power and complete the work," she said late Thursday. International concern The BNP accuses the prime minister of clamping down on democracy and freedom of speech -- including over the jailing of its leader Khaleda Zia this year on graft charges. The party says that 9,222 workers and supporters were arrested during the election campaign and that half of its candidates were attacked by ruling party supporters. Its Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, says more than 3,600 of its activists were also detained. The opposition has depended on social media to lobby for votes, saying that harassment has confined many candidates to their homes. But it stepped up its call for people to vote on Sunday. "On that day this country will be yours. You will take back its ownership," BNP deputy chief Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said in a video posted to Facebook. The campaign troubles have put Bangladesh in the international spotlight. US ambassador Earl Miller said "the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks," following a meeting with Bangladesh's election chief late Thursday. He added that while all parties have been victims, "it appears opposition party candidates have borne the brunt of most violence." Miller said everyone in Bangladesh must be able to vote "without harassment, intimidation, or violence". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for a vote "free of violence, intimidation and coercion," according to a spokesman. Sheikh Hasina won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was not free and fair, gifting her a return to power. Since her last victory, civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina's government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press. Zia, an arch-rival of the prime minister, was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges that her party says are politically motivated.

More violence and arrests of opposition activists mar Bangaldesh election

New clashes marred the deadly Bangladesh election campaign on Wednesday as<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/10500-arrests-ahead-of-bangladesh-poll-opposition-186427"> opposition leaders</a> stepped up complaints over the organisation of what they consider a one-sided vote.

Youths on motorbikes carrying a banner of the ruling Awami League attacked an opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate with knives, hours after a BNP leader was wounded in clashes between rival party activists, police said.

Habibur Rahman Habib, a BNP candidate for parliament, was attacked by 15 men on motorbikes in the northern town of Ishwardi on Wednesday, according to police.

"He was hacked three times on his thigh. He was grievously injured but is out of danger," local police chief Bahauddin Faruqi told AFP.

Late Tuesday, senior BNP leader Goyeshwar Roy was injured as BNP and Awami League activists clashed in Dhaka district, police superintendent S.M. Shafiur Rahman told AFP. Media images showed blood pouring down Roy's face.

The campaign for Sunday's vote has seen <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-at-least-10-journalists-attacked-ahead-of-poll-186456">daily confrontations between supporters of the two main parties</a>, which has further soured their bitter constitutional showdown.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a record fourth term, but her party has been accused of organising the arrest and intimidation of opposition candidates to boost her chances. The government denies any wrongdoing.

The BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is in jail, and its main Islamist ally claim more than 11,500 of their supporters have been detained since the election was called on November 8. Hundreds of their supporters have been injured in fighting, they say.

Thousands arrested

Six people -- four BNP supporters and two from the Awami League -- have been killed in the campaign violence.

The BNP-led opposition coalition demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner Nurul Huda, accusing him of supporting ruling party followers in the unrest.

"It is not possible to get a non-partisan and neutral election from him and there is no possibility of fair treatment from him," opposition spokesman Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

Opposition parties walked out of a meeting with Huda late Tuesday, and have demanded a neutral election commissioner take over for Sunday's vote.

They say the mass arrest of their followers -- 8,243 from the BNP and 3,600 from the Jamaat-e-Islami -- was intended to create a "climate of fear".

Police have not confirmed the number of arrests during the campaign but insist all those detained had warrants against them.

"We never target any individual unless they break the law," said police spokesman Sohel Rana.

There was no comment from Chief Election Commissioner on the violence, but another election commissioner urged police "act neutrally and without discrimination to all."

"Don't take any undesirable action by being too enthusiastic," commissioner Mahbub Talukder said in a statement.

"Refrain from acting in a partisan manner in the polls. Uphold the dignity and righteousness of your uniform... I am worried over the growing number of incidents of clashes and violence ahead of the national election."

Hasina and Zia have been political foes since the introduction of democracy in 1991. They have traditionally alternated in power but Hasina's current rule has lasted since 2009 and Zia's jail term this year prevented her from taking part in the election.

The ruling party has emphasised the economic growth in Hasina's last 10 years in power to justify her reelection.

The BNP had hoped the deployment of 30,000 troops on Monday would improve security across the Muslim-majority country of 165 million.

But Ahmed said its candidates were attacked in 28 constituencies on Tuesday, leaving more than 100 people injured.

Hasina won a 2008 poll by a landslide and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election -- saying it was not free and fair -- gifting her a return to power.

Civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina's government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press through a strict digital-security law.

New clashes marred the deadly Bangladesh election campaign on Wednesday as opposition leaders stepped up complaints over the organisation of what they consider a one-sided vote.

New clashes marred the deadly Bangladesh election campaign on Wednesday as opposition leaders stepped up complaints over the organisation of what they consider a one-sided vote. Youths on motorbikes carrying a banner of the ruling Awami League attacked an opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate with knives, hours after a BNP leader was wounded in clashes between rival party activists, police said. Habibur Rahman Habib, a BNP candidate for parliament, was attacked by 15 men on motorbikes in the northern town of Ishwardi on Wednesday, according to police. "He was hacked three times on his thigh. He was grievously injured but is out of danger," local police chief Bahauddin Faruqi told AFP. Late Tuesday, senior BNP leader Goyeshwar Roy was injured as BNP and Awami League activists clashed in Dhaka district, police superintendent S.M. Shafiur Rahman told AFP. Media images showed blood pouring down Roy's face. The campaign for Sunday's vote has seen daily confrontations between supporters of the two main parties, which has further soured their bitter constitutional showdown. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a record fourth term, but her party has been accused of organising the arrest and intimidation of opposition candidates to boost her chances. The government denies any wrongdoing. The BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is in jail, and its main Islamist ally claim more than 11,500 of their supporters have been detained since the election was called on November 8. Hundreds of their supporters have been injured in fighting, they say. Thousands arrested Six people -- four BNP supporters and two from the Awami League -- have been killed in the campaign violence. The BNP-led opposition coalition demanded the resignation of the chief election commissioner Nurul Huda, accusing him of supporting ruling party followers in the unrest. "It is not possible to get a non-partisan and neutral election from him and there is no possibility of fair treatment from him," opposition spokesman Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. Opposition parties walked out of a meeting with Huda late Tuesday, and have demanded a neutral election commissioner take over for Sunday's vote. They say the mass arrest of their followers -- 8,243 from the BNP and 3,600 from the Jamaat-e-Islami -- was intended to create a "climate of fear". Police have not confirmed the number of arrests during the campaign but insist all those detained had warrants against them. "We never target any individual unless they break the law," said police spokesman Sohel Rana. There was no comment from Chief Election Commissioner on the violence, but another election commissioner urged police "act neutrally and without discrimination to all." "Don't take any undesirable action by being too enthusiastic," commissioner Mahbub Talukder said in a statement. "Refrain from acting in a partisan manner in the polls. Uphold the dignity and righteousness of your uniform... I am worried over the growing number of incidents of clashes and violence ahead of the national election." Hasina and Zia have been political foes since the introduction of democracy in 1991. They have traditionally alternated in power but Hasina's current rule has lasted since 2009 and Zia's jail term this year prevented her from taking part in the election. The ruling party has emphasised the economic growth in Hasina's last 10 years in power to justify her reelection. The BNP had hoped the deployment of 30,000 troops on Monday would improve security across the Muslim-majority country of 165 million. But Ahmed said its candidates were attacked in 28 constituencies on Tuesday, leaving more than 100 people injured. Hasina won a 2008 poll by a landslide and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election -- saying it was not free and fair -- gifting her a return to power. Civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina's government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press through a strict digital-security law.

Bangladesh election violence: Youths carrying Awami League banner attack BNP candidate

Shut out by mainstream media and too scared to hustle on the streets, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a>'s main opposition party has been reduced to social media lobbying for votes in this week's national elections.

Two weeks into the campaign, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pm-sheikh-hasina-on-top-in-battle-of-the-bangladesh-begums-186170">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina</a> has addressed hundreds of thousands of people in rallies across the country as she seeks a record fourth term.

Public gatherings by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are tiny by comparison.&nbsp;

Its leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/khaleda-zia-bangladeshs-fighter-begum-and-former-premier-marred-by-controversies-185022">Khaleda Zia</a> is serving a 17-year jail term for a graft conviction, which the party says is a politically motivated attempt to sideline Hasina's chief rival.&nbsp;

The BNP says many of its candidates have been too scared to campaign in public and fear violent intimidation by ruling party followers or arrest by authorities.

More than 150 of its candidates have been attacked, 15 arrested and thousands of party activists injured in clashes with rivals from the ruling Awami League, according to the BNP.

At least six supporters from both parties have been killed in election clashes.

Fearing bloodshed, the BNP has instead turned to Facebook to canvass support from Bangladesh's 100 million voters ahead of Sunday's election.

An online plea by BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the nation's younger voters went viral in recent days.

The three-minute video was released on Friday night and was shared tens of thousands of times over the weekend.

The Awami League wants to "create an environment of fear so that you lose interest in voting on the morning of December 30," he says in the post.&nbsp;

"You can prevent vote robbery. Democracy must be saved."

Poetic plea&nbsp;

A recording of a poem recited by young voters urging them to condemn a violent government crackdown on student protests earlier this year also spread like wildfire online.

Pro-Awami League groups have responded by flooding Facebook with videos of Bangladeshi celebrities, each lauding the country's solid economic growth since Hasina's second stint in office began in 2009.

State-run media and many private television stations do not run opposition adverts for fear of government reprisals, said BNP spokesman Sayrul Kabir Khan.&nbsp;

While Awami League campaign ads are ubiquitous on television, "the only medium where we can post our video is Facebook," Khan said.&nbsp;

Authorities last week blocked the BNP website, claiming it contained "indecent" and "obscene" material&nbsp;a move that prompted outrage and accusations of censorship from the opposition. The party's Facebook page was also down for several days.

At the same time, the government has run its own online influence campaign in a bid to shore up votes ahead of the Sunday poll.

Facebook last week said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources.

Civil society and rights groups have accused the government of silencing dissent and the press with an onerous digital-security law.

Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, the editor of the Bangladeshi tabloid Manabzamin, said Facebook was the last refuge for voices critical of the Awami League's increasing slide towards authoritarianism.

"The opposition is too afraid to campaign freely. The media has been cornered as well. This is the reality," he said.

Shut out by mainstream media and too scared to hustle on the streets, Bangladesh's main opposition party has been reduced to social media lobbying for votes in this week's national elections.

Shut out by mainstream media and too scared to hustle on the streets, Bangladesh's main opposition party has been reduced to social media lobbying for votes in this week's national elections. Two weeks into the campaign, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has addressed hundreds of thousands of people in rallies across the country as she seeks a record fourth term. Public gatherings by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are tiny by comparison. Its leader Khaleda Zia is serving a 17-year jail term for a graft conviction, which the party says is a politically motivated attempt to sideline Hasina's chief rival. The BNP says many of its candidates have been too scared to campaign in public and fear violent intimidation by ruling party followers or arrest by authorities. More than 150 of its candidates have been attacked, 15 arrested and thousands of party activists injured in clashes with rivals from the ruling Awami League, according to the BNP. At least six supporters from both parties have been killed in election clashes. Fearing bloodshed, the BNP has instead turned to Facebook to canvass support from Bangladesh's 100 million voters ahead of Sunday's election. An online plea by BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the nation's younger voters went viral in recent days. The three-minute video was released on Friday night and was shared tens of thousands of times over the weekend. The Awami League wants to "create an environment of fear so that you lose interest in voting on the morning of December 30," he says in the post. "You can prevent vote robbery. Democracy must be saved." Poetic plea A recording of a poem recited by young voters urging them to condemn a violent government crackdown on student protests earlier this year also spread like wildfire online. Pro-Awami League groups have responded by flooding Facebook with videos of Bangladeshi celebrities, each lauding the country's solid economic growth since Hasina's second stint in office began in 2009. State-run media and many private television stations do not run opposition adverts for fear of government reprisals, said BNP spokesman Sayrul Kabir Khan. While Awami League campaign ads are ubiquitous on television, "the only medium where we can post our video is Facebook," Khan said. Authorities last week blocked the BNP website, claiming it contained "indecent" and "obscene" material a move that prompted outrage and accusations of censorship from the opposition. The party's Facebook page was also down for several days. At the same time, the government has run its own online influence campaign in a bid to shore up votes ahead of the Sunday poll. Facebook last week said it had suspended nine pages and six accounts linked to "individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" which posted anti-opposition content while masquerading as independent news sources. Civil society and rights groups have accused the government of silencing dissent and the press with an onerous digital-security law. Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, the editor of the Bangladeshi tabloid Manabzamin, said Facebook was the last refuge for voices critical of the Awami League's increasing slide towards authoritarianism. "The opposition is too afraid to campaign freely. The media has been cornered as well. This is the reality," he said.

Silent opposition counts on viral votes in Bangladesh election

Thousands of army troops were deployed across <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> on Monday to provide security and help conduct <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-elections-a-rocky-road-ahead-for-all-parties-185923">parliamentary elections</a> on December 30, amid concerns that violence could happen.

The Election Commission on December 13 announced that the army will be deployed as a striking force across the country during the 11th parliamentary elections and it will remain in the field until January 2.

Election Commission's Joint Secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan said that about 400-450 platoons of the armed forces are deployed in 389 areas in 270 constituencies across the country.

The army will work in 389 designated areas and the navy in 18. It will also be in charge of operating the electronic voting machines (EMVs) to be used at 845 voting centres in six constituencies, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Earlier this month, authorities deployed paramilitary border forces in 87 bordering areas to control the law and order situation.

Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam said the forces have been deployed to remove the fear of all including the political parties.

Major opposition parties including jailed former prime minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/khaleda-zia-bangladeshs-fighter-begum-and-former-premier-marred-by-controversies-185022">Khaleda Zia</a>'s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its alliance Jatiya Oikyafront (National United Front) have long been demanding army deployment for free and fair elections.&nbsp;

The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of its leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them.&nbsp;

The BNP has welcomed the Election Commission's decision to deploy army in the country ahead of the elections.

"We welcome the decision to deploy army during the 11th Jatiya Sangsad polls. We sincerely believe that the deployment of the army will help create a fair and neutral environment for the election which so far has not been in effect, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said in a press statement on Sunday.

Stating that Bangladesh Army has always been dedicated to serving the nation and its people, Fakhrul said the army won't let its image be tarnished by working in a partisan way.

We hope every proud member of the Bangladesh Army would work for the sake of the countrymen in an effective way, and not in favour of any individual or any particular group, he said.

We strongly urge the Bangladesh Army to ensure equal scopes for all political parties and candidates in the election, Fakhrul added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time in the December 30 elections, which the opposition has alleged could be rigged.

Zia, 73, who is serving a 10-year jail sentence on corruption charges, has been barred from contesting the polls.&nbsp;

The Election Commission on Sunday allowed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ec-allows-hardline-islamist-party-to-contest-upcoming-general-election-186045">Jamaat-e-Islami</a>, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration.

The Jamaat will contest from 25 seats in the parliamentary polls with 'sheaf of paddy', the electoral symbol of the BNP.

The EC's decision came after the High Court earlier this week directed it to swiftly decide on a plea of 25 leaders of the unregistered party to contest the election as independent candidates on behalf of their alliance partners.

The hardline Islamist party is now in a dilapidated state with most of its senior leaders executed in the past five years after being convicted by special tribunals on 1971 war crimes charges.

Jamaat was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from West Pakistan and its leaders and workers sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out atrocities and genocide in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Bangladesh's post-independence government banned Jamaat but the subsequent regimes withdrew the ban allowing the party to re-emerge in politics.

The party became a crucial partner of Zia's BNP-led four-party alliance government in 2001 and its chief Moti-ur-Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed became ministers

Thousands of army troops were deployed across Bangladesh on Monday to provide security and help conduct parliamentary elections on December 30, amid concerns that violence could happen.

Thousands of army troops were deployed across Bangladesh on Monday to provide security and help conduct parliamentary elections on December 30, amid concerns that violence could happen. The Election Commission on December 13 announced that the army will be deployed as a striking force across the country during the 11th parliamentary elections and it will remain in the field until January 2. Election Commission's Joint Secretary Farhad Ahmed Khan said that about 400-450 platoons of the armed forces are deployed in 389 areas in 270 constituencies across the country. The army will work in 389 designated areas and the navy in 18. It will also be in charge of operating the electronic voting machines (EMVs) to be used at 845 voting centres in six constituencies, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Earlier this month, authorities deployed paramilitary border forces in 87 bordering areas to control the law and order situation. Election Commissioner Rafiqul Islam said the forces have been deployed to remove the fear of all including the political parties. Major opposition parties including jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its alliance Jatiya Oikyafront (National United Front) have long been demanding army deployment for free and fair elections. The opposition parties have alleged that thousands of its leaders and activists have been arrested to weaken them. The BNP has welcomed the Election Commission's decision to deploy army in the country ahead of the elections. "We welcome the decision to deploy army during the 11th Jatiya Sangsad polls. We sincerely believe that the deployment of the army will help create a fair and neutral environment for the election which so far has not been in effect, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam said in a press statement on Sunday. Stating that Bangladesh Army has always been dedicated to serving the nation and its people, Fakhrul said the army won't let its image be tarnished by working in a partisan way. We hope every proud member of the Bangladesh Army would work for the sake of the countrymen in an effective way, and not in favour of any individual or any particular group, he said. We strongly urge the Bangladesh Army to ensure equal scopes for all political parties and candidates in the election, Fakhrul added. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking to return to power for a third consecutive time in the December 30 elections, which the opposition has alleged could be rigged. Zia, 73, who is serving a 10-year jail sentence on corruption charges, has been barred from contesting the polls. The Election Commission on Sunday allowed Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of BNP, to contest the general elections, two months after it scraped the fundamentalist party's registration. The Jamaat will contest from 25 seats in the parliamentary polls with 'sheaf of paddy', the electoral symbol of the BNP. The EC's decision came after the High Court earlier this week directed it to swiftly decide on a plea of 25 leaders of the unregistered party to contest the election as independent candidates on behalf of their alliance partners. The hardline Islamist party is now in a dilapidated state with most of its senior leaders executed in the past five years after being convicted by special tribunals on 1971 war crimes charges. Jamaat was opposed to Bangladesh's 1971 independence from West Pakistan and its leaders and workers sided with Pakistani troops in carrying out atrocities and genocide in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Bangladesh's post-independence government banned Jamaat but the subsequent regimes withdrew the ban allowing the party to re-emerge in politics. The party became a crucial partner of Zia's BNP-led four-party alliance government in 2001 and its chief Moti-ur-Rahman Nizami and secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed became ministers

Thousands of troops deployed in Bangladesh ahead of general elections

In a little over a week, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> will go to polls to elect a new parliament.

Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ruling-awami-party-promises-growth-in-bid-for-third-term-in-election-manifesto-185295">Awami League</a> (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote.

Old distinctions of pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces have been blurred with fresh alliances formed that defy understanding.

The AL, which positions itself as the pro-liberation secular force, has allied with the obscurantist Hefajat-e-Islam and other Islamic parties. It has a limited electoral understanding with former president Ershad`s Jatiyo Party.

Also in the AL camp is Bikalpdhara Bangladesh of Badrudozza Chaudhari, who was elected as the country`s President in 2001 by the BNP but was tossed out later. The BNP, long regarded as a platform for remnants of the pre-partition Muslim League, anti-AL and anti-India elements from extreme left to extreme right, has taken on board not only nominees of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami but also stalwarts of the Liberation War- octogenarian Dr Komal Hossain as well as Tiger Kader Siddiqui of the Mukti Bahini.

While Sheikh Hasina`s extended family of cousins and nephews is in the fray, it is the first time that none from the Zia family is in the contest. Convicted in a corruption case and barred from contesting elections, Begum Zia has been in prison since February this year. Her son and heir apparent Tarique Rahman, also convicted in many cases, is in exile in England.

Background of the 600 candidates, nominated by the two main contending groupings, is revealing of the character of Bangladesh`s public representatives.

In declarations filed with the Election Commission, only 22 have described themselves as full-time politicians. Seven more as businessmen-cum-politicians and 329 as simply businessmen. Of these 153, including Salman Rahman- the Mukesh Ambani of Bangladesh, have been nominated by the AL bloc, and 176 by the rival camp.

Almost all are based out of Dhaka. This shows how far the two main political parties have moved from their common worker.

Elections are being held in the background of unprecedented pressure on the opposition parties and denial of legitimate democratic space for dissent.

Nomination papers of almost 300 BNP nominees were rejected during scrutiny by the Election Commission, 15 candidates have been arrested and over 30 attacked.

Opposition candidates are being prevented from campaigning, their workers are being harassed and party offices set on fire. Nearly 21,000 workers of the opposition parties have been arrested.

The Human Rights Watch has come out with a stinging report on the muzzling of the press and the blatantly partisan manner in which the State is conducting these elections. Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has conceded there is no level playing field.

Violence is endemic to elections in Bangladesh. A study carried out reveals an average of 88 persons were killed and 3375 injured in the past parliamentary elections. The figure peaked in 2001 elections that saw 248 getting killed and 11074 injured.

The Hindu minority community bears the brunt of attacks mostly at the hands of BNP and Jamaat cadres. They are looking at the coming elections with trepidation.

The AL record in governance in the last ten years is not unimpressive in terms of macro-level economic and social indicators. It faces anti-incumbency on the count of intolerant arrogance, corruption and patronising criminal elements. Yet it is expected to win largely on the count of its control over the administrative machinery, which it has unhesitatingly used in a partisan manner.

The BNP organisation is dispirited and in disarray. Jamaat is banned and its main leaders hanged or jailed for crimes committed in 1971. Nevertheless electoral arithmetic favours the BNP Jote and it is banking on that. It hopes it will win the elections if voters overcome fear and come out and vote freely.

The voter is in a dilemma. He wants to punish the AL but is frightened of the alternative. Stalwarts of the BNP do not wish to see Tarique Rahman again. The Army, which is accused of literally breaking his back, does not want him to return.

Despite its protests, New Delhi does not seem convinced that the BNP has severed its Pakistan connection. Hence, the Indo- Bangladesh relations that have been assiduously strengthened over the last decade may suffer in the event of BNP coming to power. Even China, seen as a growing challenge to India in its neighbourhood owing to its increasing economic stakes in the country, is said to prefer continuity.

New Delhi must be watching all this closely. Relations with Bangladesh have never been better than in the last ten years. Dhaka`s cooperation has helped in controlling insurgents in the North-East. Dividends of economic collaboration with India is an accepted fact cutting across the Bangladeshi political spectrum.

Yet the anti-India feeling is high largely because of various factors, like the BJP government`s initial stand on the Rohingya refugee influx, a perception that it is anti-Muslim, the NRC issue in Assam, statements of deportation of Bangladeshi illegals and the belief that India condones whatever Sheikh Hasina does.

Lampooning anyone, who opposes AL as pro-Pakistan, too has not helped. This has alienated influential sections of the media including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, most widely-read English and Bangla dailies. Incidentally, both are edited by freedom fighters and staunchly secular individuals.

Going by the manner in which the elections are being conducted, the outcome may not be acceptable to the losing side. If it loses, AL with its street power will not allow any other government to function. If it retains power it would need to be more tolerant of dissent and realise that denying legitimate democratic space will only drive its opponents underground and lead to a violent reaction. This is a prospect New Delhi will have to be mindful of.&nbsp;

In a little over a week, Bangladesh will go to polls to elect a new parliament. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote.

In a little over a week, Bangladesh will go to polls to elect a new parliament. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote. Old distinctions of pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces have been blurred with fresh alliances formed that defy understanding. The AL, which positions itself as the pro-liberation secular force, has allied with the obscurantist Hefajat-e-Islam and other Islamic parties. It has a limited electoral understanding with former president Ershad`s Jatiyo Party. Also in the AL camp is Bikalpdhara Bangladesh of Badrudozza Chaudhari, who was elected as the country`s President in 2001 by the BNP but was tossed out later. The BNP, long regarded as a platform for remnants of the pre-partition Muslim League, anti-AL and anti-India elements from extreme left to extreme right, has taken on board not only nominees of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami but also stalwarts of the Liberation War- octogenarian Dr Komal Hossain as well as Tiger Kader Siddiqui of the Mukti Bahini. While Sheikh Hasina`s extended family of cousins and nephews is in the fray, it is the first time that none from the Zia family is in the contest. Convicted in a corruption case and barred from contesting elections, Begum Zia has been in prison since February this year. Her son and heir apparent Tarique Rahman, also convicted in many cases, is in exile in England. Background of the 600 candidates, nominated by the two main contending groupings, is revealing of the character of Bangladesh`s public representatives. In declarations filed with the Election Commission, only 22 have described themselves as full-time politicians. Seven more as businessmen-cum-politicians and 329 as simply businessmen. Of these 153, including Salman Rahman- the Mukesh Ambani of Bangladesh, have been nominated by the AL bloc, and 176 by the rival camp. Almost all are based out of Dhaka. This shows how far the two main political parties have moved from their common worker. Elections are being held in the background of unprecedented pressure on the opposition parties and denial of legitimate democratic space for dissent. Nomination papers of almost 300 BNP nominees were rejected during scrutiny by the Election Commission, 15 candidates have been arrested and over 30 attacked. Opposition candidates are being prevented from campaigning, their workers are being harassed and party offices set on fire. Nearly 21,000 workers of the opposition parties have been arrested. The Human Rights Watch has come out with a stinging report on the muzzling of the press and the blatantly partisan manner in which the State is conducting these elections. Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has conceded there is no level playing field. Violence is endemic to elections in Bangladesh. A study carried out reveals an average of 88 persons were killed and 3375 injured in the past parliamentary elections. The figure peaked in 2001 elections that saw 248 getting killed and 11074 injured. The Hindu minority community bears the brunt of attacks mostly at the hands of BNP and Jamaat cadres. They are looking at the coming elections with trepidation. The AL record in governance in the last ten years is not unimpressive in terms of macro-level economic and social indicators. It faces anti-incumbency on the count of intolerant arrogance, corruption and patronising criminal elements. Yet it is expected to win largely on the count of its control over the administrative machinery, which it has unhesitatingly used in a partisan manner. The BNP organisation is dispirited and in disarray. Jamaat is banned and its main leaders hanged or jailed for crimes committed in 1971. Nevertheless electoral arithmetic favours the BNP Jote and it is banking on that. It hopes it will win the elections if voters overcome fear and come out and vote freely. The voter is in a dilemma. He wants to punish the AL but is frightened of the alternative. Stalwarts of the BNP do not wish to see Tarique Rahman again. The Army, which is accused of literally breaking his back, does not want him to return. Despite its protests, New Delhi does not seem convinced that the BNP has severed its Pakistan connection. Hence, the Indo- Bangladesh relations that have been assiduously strengthened over the last decade may suffer in the event of BNP coming to power. Even China, seen as a growing challenge to India in its neighbourhood owing to its increasing economic stakes in the country, is said to prefer continuity. New Delhi must be watching all this closely. Relations with Bangladesh have never been better than in the last ten years. Dhaka`s cooperation has helped in controlling insurgents in the North-East. Dividends of economic collaboration with India is an accepted fact cutting across the Bangladeshi political spectrum. Yet the anti-India feeling is high largely because of various factors, like the BJP government`s initial stand on the Rohingya refugee influx, a perception that it is anti-Muslim, the NRC issue in Assam, statements of deportation of Bangladeshi illegals and the belief that India condones whatever Sheikh Hasina does. Lampooning anyone, who opposes AL as pro-Pakistan, too has not helped. This has alienated influential sections of the media including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, most widely-read English and Bangla dailies. Incidentally, both are edited by freedom fighters and staunchly secular individuals. Going by the manner in which the elections are being conducted, the outcome may not be acceptable to the losing side. If it loses, AL with its street power will not allow any other government to function. If it retains power it would need to be more tolerant of dissent and realise that denying legitimate democratic space will only drive its opponents underground and lead to a violent reaction. This is a prospect New Delhi will have to be mindful of.

Bangladesh elections: A rocky road ahead for all parties

Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday, they had removed accounts and fake news pages linked to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> government which had posted anti-opposition content, days ahead of an election in the South Asian nation.&nbsp;

Facebook, Bangladesh's most popular social network with an estimated 30 million users, said it had removed nine fake news pages "linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" which mimicked those of independent news outlets.

It also took down six accounts as they, along with the pages, were found "engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour." One of the accounts had 11,900 followers.&nbsp;

Spokesmen for the Bangladesh government including for the home and information ministers did not respond to calls seeking comment late on Thursday.&nbsp;

"This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook under our misrepresentation policy because we don`t want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they`re doing," Facebook`s Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a statement.&nbsp;

Twitter said it had identified and suspended 15 accounts originating from Bangladesh for "engaging in coordinated platform manipulation."

"Based on our initial analysis, it appears that some of these accounts may have ties to state-sponsored actors," it added. The accounts had fewer than 50 followers, it said.&nbsp;

Facebook and other tech giants are under pressure to increase efforts to remove misleading or illegal content and ensure fake news is not uploaded and disseminated. Although Facebook has stepped up fact-checking, it still faces criticism that it is too slow to close rogue accounts.&nbsp;

Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for Bangladesh`s elite security force Rapid Action Battalion that has been tasked by the government with monitoring online content in the run-up to the December 30 polls, did not comment on the Facebook statement.&nbsp;

He said his team had arrested 30 people in recent weeks, some linked to the opposition, who posted "anti-government propaganda" by making clones of popular news websites.

Facebook`s move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ruling-awami-party-promises-growth-in-bid-for-third-term-in-election-manifesto-185295">Awami League is seeking to win a third term</a> in power amid accusations of carrying out attacks on opposition party candidates.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshi-opposition-pledges-to-remove-media-curbs-raise-pay-freeze-energy-prices-184897">opposition National Unity Front alliance</a> said on Wednesday that 14 of its candidates had been arrested and 1,500 injured in attacks this month by ruling party workers.&nbsp;

The Awami League has denied the allegations and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt a peaceful election environment. Hasina said on Wednesday her party wouldn`t use "unfair means" to win.

Under Hasina`s decade-long rule several people have been arrested for putting up Facebook posts critical of the government, including a prominent photographer released last month after over 100 days in prison.

Her government has taken steps to improve Bangladesh`s digital infrastructure, including making the internet more affordable, but it has kept tight control.

During mass student protests this August, the police`s cybercrime unit said it had scoured Facebook posts to crack down on what it called "fake news" being spread to provoke protests.

Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday, they had removed accounts and fake news pages linked to the Bangladesh government which had posted anti-opposition content, days ahead of an election in the South Asian nation.

Facebook and Twitter said on Thursday, they had removed accounts and fake news pages linked to the Bangladesh government which had posted anti-opposition content, days ahead of an election in the South Asian nation. Facebook, Bangladesh's most popular social network with an estimated 30 million users, said it had removed nine fake news pages "linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh government" which mimicked those of independent news outlets. It also took down six accounts as they, along with the pages, were found "engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour." One of the accounts had 11,900 followers. Spokesmen for the Bangladesh government including for the home and information ministers did not respond to calls seeking comment late on Thursday. "This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook under our misrepresentation policy because we don`t want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they`re doing," Facebook`s Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher said in a statement. Twitter said it had identified and suspended 15 accounts originating from Bangladesh for "engaging in coordinated platform manipulation." "Based on our initial analysis, it appears that some of these accounts may have ties to state-sponsored actors," it added. The accounts had fewer than 50 followers, it said. Facebook and other tech giants are under pressure to increase efforts to remove misleading or illegal content and ensure fake news is not uploaded and disseminated. Although Facebook has stepped up fact-checking, it still faces criticism that it is too slow to close rogue accounts. Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for Bangladesh`s elite security force Rapid Action Battalion that has been tasked by the government with monitoring online content in the run-up to the December 30 polls, did not comment on the Facebook statement. He said his team had arrested 30 people in recent weeks, some linked to the opposition, who posted "anti-government propaganda" by making clones of popular news websites. Facebook`s move comes as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina`s Awami League is seeking to win a third term in power amid accusations of carrying out attacks on opposition party candidates. The opposition National Unity Front alliance said on Wednesday that 14 of its candidates had been arrested and 1,500 injured in attacks this month by ruling party workers. The Awami League has denied the allegations and accused the opposition of trying to disrupt a peaceful election environment. Hasina said on Wednesday her party wouldn`t use "unfair means" to win. Under Hasina`s decade-long rule several people have been arrested for putting up Facebook posts critical of the government, including a prominent photographer released last month after over 100 days in prison. Her government has taken steps to improve Bangladesh`s digital infrastructure, including making the internet more affordable, but it has kept tight control. During mass student protests this August, the police`s cybercrime unit said it had scoured Facebook posts to crack down on what it called "fake news" being spread to provoke protests.

Bangladesh: Facebook and Twitter remove pages, accounts ahead of election

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a>’s main opposition alliance has written to the Election Commission seeking action to end what it says are violent attacks against its workers by ruling party activists and the arrests of candidates on trumped-up charges.

At least 14 candidates in the December 30 election under the National Unity Front alliance have been arrested in "fictitious cases" in recent weeks, the alliance said in a letter dated Tuesday, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

Some 1,500 opposition workers have suffered injuries since December 2, an alliance spokesman said separately.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-as-tension-soar-before-general-election-opposition-alliance-campaigns-outside-dhaka-184469">Elections in&nbsp;Bangladesh</a>&nbsp;are often marred by violent clashes, but the opposition alliance says the ruling party is trying to cripple its campaign by locking up, threatening and attacking its workers.

“We demand an immediate release of these candidates on bail and also request the issuance of instructions that no further candidates be arrested with an intention to harass,” the alliance said, also accusing the police of aiding the attacks, often dressed in plainclothes.

“The Higher Court must issue directives on forbidding any law enforcers performing duties in civil dress,” it said.

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ruling-awami-party-promises-growth-in-bid-for-third-term-in-election-manifesto-185295">Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League</a>, which is seeking a third straight term in power, has denied the allegations.

Police spokesman Sohel Rana said people could file complaints and "we will look into the allegation and take proper action".

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda did not respond to calls requesting comment.

The opposition letter comes after Mahbub Talukdar, one of the five commissioners that make up&nbsp;Bangladesh's Election Commission said there was "no level-playing field at all" between contesting parties. His comments were dismissed as "untrue" by Huda.

Hasina’s government, while credited for improving&nbsp;Bangladesh’s economy, has been criticised by rights groups for suppressing dissent and sweeping arrests of opposition workers.

Violent clashes have broken out across the country since campaigning began last week, and two Awami League workers have also died.

More than 20,000 paramilitary troops have been deployed and the army is scheduled to be deployed on December 24.

Bangladesh’s main opposition alliance has written to the Election Commission seeking action to end what it says are violent attacks against its workers by ruling party activists and the arrests of candidates on trumped-up charges.

Bangladesh’s main opposition alliance has written to the Election Commission seeking action to end what it says are violent attacks against its workers by ruling party activists and the arrests of candidates on trumped-up charges. At least 14 candidates in the December 30 election under the National Unity Front alliance have been arrested in "fictitious cases" in recent weeks, the alliance said in a letter dated Tuesday, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. Some 1,500 opposition workers have suffered injuries since December 2, an alliance spokesman said separately. Elections in Bangladesh are often marred by violent clashes, but the opposition alliance says the ruling party is trying to cripple its campaign by locking up, threatening and attacking its workers. “We demand an immediate release of these candidates on bail and also request the issuance of instructions that no further candidates be arrested with an intention to harass,” the alliance said, also accusing the police of aiding the attacks, often dressed in plainclothes. “The Higher Court must issue directives on forbidding any law enforcers performing duties in civil dress,” it said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, which is seeking a third straight term in power, has denied the allegations. Police spokesman Sohel Rana said people could file complaints and "we will look into the allegation and take proper action". Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda did not respond to calls requesting comment. The opposition letter comes after Mahbub Talukdar, one of the five commissioners that make up Bangladesh's Election Commission said there was "no level-playing field at all" between contesting parties. His comments were dismissed as "untrue" by Huda. Hasina’s government, while credited for improving Bangladesh’s economy, has been criticised by rights groups for suppressing dissent and sweeping arrests of opposition workers. Violent clashes have broken out across the country since campaigning began last week, and two Awami League workers have also died. More than 20,000 paramilitary troops have been deployed and the army is scheduled to be deployed on December 24.

Ahead of polls, Bangladesh opposition alliance demands action over attacks

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls.

One of the judges of the two-member High Court bench favoured Zia's candidacy while the other ruled that she was disqualified from the polls for being a convicted prisoner serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases, court officials and lawyers said.

"As the two judges could not reach a consensus, in line with the practice, they referred the matter to the chief justice who will now send the case to another bench for hearing the case," an official said.

The ruling came after 73-year-old Zia challenged an earlier decision of the Election Commission to scrap her candidacy as the ex-premier filed nomination papers for contesting polls from three constituencies.

Senior judge of the bench Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed in his ruling asked the EC to accept Zia's nomination and simultaneously sought the commission's explanation on why its decision to scrap her candidacy should not be declared illegal.

But the other judge Justice Iqbal Kabir, on the other hand, blocked Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Zia from contesting the polls.

Zia on December 9 had challenged the EC order disqualifying her from contesting the polls while the High Court had earlier ruled that those jailed for more than two years, with their appeals pending in court, cannot contest polls.

She has been in prison since February this year when a lower court sentenced her to a five-year term in the first of two corruption cases while a special court in Dhaka has ordered her appearance in a third graft case.

Meanwhile, formal campaigning for the polls started on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began the campaign for her Awami League from southwestern Tungipara sub-district, the birthplace of her father and Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated in a 1975 coup along with most of his family members.

Hasina is contesting polls from the Tungipara constituency while she is set to travel across Bangladesh to rally support for her party candidates and alliance partners, including former president H M Ershad's Jatiya Party.

The Awami League's arch-rival BNP also launched its campaign in the absence of party chairperson Zia and her son and 'fugitive' acting chief Tarique Rahman.

Rahman is now living in London ostensibly to evade the law after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists.

The absence of the two top BNP leaders has pushed the party into a state of disarray.

The BNP had boycotted the previous 2014 polls demanding an election time neutral non-party government and instead waged a violent street campaign in subsequent years.

Analysts say political and legal considerations have forced the BNP to take part in the upcoming polls as it could lose its registration with the EC as a political party if it boycotted polls for the second consecutive time even as it faces structural erosion from within.

The BNP recently joined the new opposition alliance National Unity Front (NUF) under the leadership of eminent jurist Kamal Hossain.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls.

The Bangladesh High Court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over whether imprisoned former prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia should be allowed to contest the upcoming general election even as campaigning began for the December 30 polls. One of the judges of the two-member High Court bench favoured Zia's candidacy while the other ruled that she was disqualified from the polls for being a convicted prisoner serving a 10-year jail term in two graft cases, court officials and lawyers said. "As the two judges could not reach a consensus, in line with the practice, they referred the matter to the chief justice who will now send the case to another bench for hearing the case," an official said. The ruling came after 73-year-old Zia challenged an earlier decision of the Election Commission to scrap her candidacy as the ex-premier filed nomination papers for contesting polls from three constituencies. Senior judge of the bench Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed in his ruling asked the EC to accept Zia's nomination and simultaneously sought the commission's explanation on why its decision to scrap her candidacy should not be declared illegal. But the other judge Justice Iqbal Kabir, on the other hand, blocked Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Zia from contesting the polls. Zia on December 9 had challenged the EC order disqualifying her from contesting the polls while the High Court had earlier ruled that those jailed for more than two years, with their appeals pending in court, cannot contest polls. She has been in prison since February this year when a lower court sentenced her to a five-year term in the first of two corruption cases while a special court in Dhaka has ordered her appearance in a third graft case. Meanwhile, formal campaigning for the polls started on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina began the campaign for her Awami League from southwestern Tungipara sub-district, the birthplace of her father and Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated in a 1975 coup along with most of his family members. Hasina is contesting polls from the Tungipara constituency while she is set to travel across Bangladesh to rally support for her party candidates and alliance partners, including former president H M Ershad's Jatiya Party. The Awami League's arch-rival BNP also launched its campaign in the absence of party chairperson Zia and her son and 'fugitive' acting chief Tarique Rahman. Rahman is now living in London ostensibly to evade the law after a court sentenced him to life imprisonment for masterminding a grenade attack in 2004 that killed 24 Awami League leaders and activists. The absence of the two top BNP leaders has pushed the party into a state of disarray. The BNP had boycotted the previous 2014 polls demanding an election time neutral non-party government and instead waged a violent street campaign in subsequent years. Analysts say political and legal considerations have forced the BNP to take part in the upcoming polls as it could lose its registration with the EC as a political party if it boycotted polls for the second consecutive time even as it faces structural erosion from within. The BNP recently joined the new opposition alliance National Unity Front (NUF) under the leadership of eminent jurist Kamal Hossain.

Bangladesh High Court splits its judgement on permitting BNP's Khaleda Zia to contest polls

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a>'s opposition party Sunday said nearly 2,000 of its supporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges in a crackdown aimed at derailing its campaign just weeks from a general election.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-to-challenge-pm-hasina-in-election-176659">Bangladesh Nationalist Party</a>, which is seeking to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 30, said at least 1,972 party officials and grassroots campaigners had been detained since the election was announced a month ago.

The arrests are yet another blow for a beleaguered opposition whose leader Khaleda Zia has been jailed for corruption and barred from running against arch-rival Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term.

The opposition boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was rigged against Zia in favour of Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.

BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed told AFP the majority of party cadres rounded up since late November in the police sweep were still behind bars.

"They have filed hundreds of ghost, or fictitious cases, against our party workers and leaders," he said.

Another party official said at least 11 opposition candidates had also been detained before official campaigning begins Monday.

"Six of them are still in the jail," said the official, who declined to be named.

Police have said those arrested had outstanding warrants or were wanted over alleged connections to ongoing cases.

Ahmed denied this, saying the crackdown was a political "blueprint" by the ruling party to intimidate its opponents.

"The government wants to hold a lopsided election. These arrests are just to create fear among the people so that they don't go to vote," he said.

The opposition also accused police officials in Chittagong, a southern city, of campaigning on behalf of the Awami League. Police in the port city denied the allegations.

The arrests further hinder an already battered alliance of opposition parties, led by the BNP, which have seen their core leadership jailed on charges they say are fabricated.

Zia, a two-time former prime minister and friend-turned-foe to Hasina, was last month ordered by a court to stay behind bars for a decade for graft.

Her supporters say the charges are politically motivated to stymie Hasina's chief political threat.

Zia's son, a potential heir to the BNP throne, was sentenced in absentia to life behind bars while hundreds of other loyalists have been arrested or jailed, party officials say.

Just a month from the polls, the BNP has not announced an alternative candidate to run against Hasina, whose rule has been marred by allegations of rights abuses and intolerance for dissent.

Bangladesh has been led by either Zia or Hasina since the 1990s and the two powerful women have turned from close allies to fierce enemies.

Hasina has refused to allow a caretaker government to oversee the country during the campaign period.

Bangladesh's opposition party Sunday said nearly 2,000 of its supporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges in a crackdown aimed at derailing its campaign just weeks from a general election.

Bangladesh's opposition party Sunday said nearly 2,000 of its supporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges in a crackdown aimed at derailing its campaign just weeks from a general election. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is seeking to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 30, said at least 1,972 party officials and grassroots campaigners had been detained since the election was announced a month ago. The arrests are yet another blow for a beleaguered opposition whose leader Khaleda Zia has been jailed for corruption and barred from running against arch-rival Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term. The opposition boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was rigged against Zia in favour of Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed told AFP the majority of party cadres rounded up since late November in the police sweep were still behind bars. "They have filed hundreds of ghost, or fictitious cases, against our party workers and leaders," he said. Another party official said at least 11 opposition candidates had also been detained before official campaigning begins Monday. "Six of them are still in the jail," said the official, who declined to be named. Police have said those arrested had outstanding warrants or were wanted over alleged connections to ongoing cases. Ahmed denied this, saying the crackdown was a political "blueprint" by the ruling party to intimidate its opponents. "The government wants to hold a lopsided election. These arrests are just to create fear among the people so that they don't go to vote," he said. The opposition also accused police officials in Chittagong, a southern city, of campaigning on behalf of the Awami League. Police in the port city denied the allegations. The arrests further hinder an already battered alliance of opposition parties, led by the BNP, which have seen their core leadership jailed on charges they say are fabricated. Zia, a two-time former prime minister and friend-turned-foe to Hasina, was last month ordered by a court to stay behind bars for a decade for graft. Her supporters say the charges are politically motivated to stymie Hasina's chief political threat. Zia's son, a potential heir to the BNP throne, was sentenced in absentia to life behind bars while hundreds of other loyalists have been arrested or jailed, party officials say. Just a month from the polls, the BNP has not announced an alternative candidate to run against Hasina, whose rule has been marred by allegations of rights abuses and intolerance for dissent. Bangladesh has been led by either Zia or Hasina since the 1990s and the two powerful women have turned from close allies to fierce enemies. Hasina has refused to allow a caretaker government to oversee the country during the campaign period.

Bangladesh party says hundreds of supporters held before polls

&nbsp;An alliance of opposition parties accused Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Monday of being biased in favour of the ruling Awami League Party after it rejected nearly a quarter of the candidates the alliance nominated for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-to-send-observers-to-bangladesh-election-amid-opposition-concerns-180645"> elections on Dec. 30</a>.

The EC has rejected 205 of a total 900 nominations made by the Jatiya Oikya Front, or United National Front, a multi-party opposition alliance, said S. Farazi, press secretary of one of the parties.

"The EC has played a biased role in cancelling nominations, as almost no nominations from the ruling party were rejected," said Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagarik Oikya, a partner in the alliance that seeks to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League from power.

Manna said the alliance planned to challenge the rejections in court. "Though we know we will not gain anything, we will not bow down to this injustice without a challenge," he said.

The EC denied the charge of bias, saying that of a total 3,065 nominations received, 786 had been rejected for various reasons, including non-payment of loans or utility bills and criminal convictions.

Helal Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the EC, said it "had not yet classified numbers based on their political affiliations".

Four sources familiar with the matter said dozens of rejected nominations were of breakaway elements from the Awami League who had failed to secure party nominations.

Mahbubul Alam Hanif, senior joint general secretary of the Awami League, said only five or six of its nominations had been rejected.

Authoritarian&nbsp;rule

While Hasina's government has won widespread global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-bangladesh-seeks-international-support-180899">Rohingya refugees </a>who fled persecution in Myanmar, its critics have decried Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule, the government's handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech.

The alliance of opposition parties had asked for a caretaker government to take over in the weeks heading into the elections. The Awami League rejected the demand, however, deeming it unconstitutional.

The main opposition party, the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-opposition-bnp-says-will-take-part-in-polls-176646"> Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)</a>, had similarly pressed for a caretaker government during the 2014 election and boycotted it after its demand was not met.

The BNP remains in disarray after the jailing of its head, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges.

Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

Nomination papers filed on behalf of Khaleda have also been rejected by the EC.

The BNP filed the nomination papers on Khaleda's behalf despite a ruling last month that she would not be allowed to contest this month's election.

An alliance of opposition parties accused Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Monday of being biased in favour of the ruling Awami League Party after it rejected nearly a quarter of the candidates the alliance nominated for elections on Dec.

An alliance of opposition parties accused Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) on Monday of being biased in favour of the ruling Awami League Party after it rejected nearly a quarter of the candidates the alliance nominated for elections on Dec. 30. The EC has rejected 205 of a total 900 nominations made by the Jatiya Oikya Front, or United National Front, a multi-party opposition alliance, said S. Farazi, press secretary of one of the parties. "The EC has played a biased role in cancelling nominations, as almost no nominations from the ruling party were rejected," said Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagarik Oikya, a partner in the alliance that seeks to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League from power. Manna said the alliance planned to challenge the rejections in court. "Though we know we will not gain anything, we will not bow down to this injustice without a challenge," he said. The EC denied the charge of bias, saying that of a total 3,065 nominations received, 786 had been rejected for various reasons, including non-payment of loans or utility bills and criminal convictions. Helal Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the EC, said it "had not yet classified numbers based on their political affiliations". Four sources familiar with the matter said dozens of rejected nominations were of breakaway elements from the Awami League who had failed to secure party nominations. Mahbubul Alam Hanif, senior joint general secretary of the Awami League, said only five or six of its nominations had been rejected. Authoritarian rule While Hasina's government has won widespread global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, its critics have decried Hasina's increasingly authoritarian rule, the government's handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech. The alliance of opposition parties had asked for a caretaker government to take over in the weeks heading into the elections. The Awami League rejected the demand, however, deeming it unconstitutional. The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), had similarly pressed for a caretaker government during the 2014 election and boycotted it after its demand was not met. The BNP remains in disarray after the jailing of its head, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges. Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics. Nomination papers filed on behalf of Khaleda have also been rejected by the EC. The BNP filed the nomination papers on Khaleda's behalf despite a ruling last month that she would not be allowed to contest this month's election.

Bangladesh opposition coalition cry foul over rejected nomination

A group of opposition parties in Bangladesh, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said on Sunday it plans to contest the December 23 general election, despite the ruling party last week rejecting a series of its demands.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, a 20-party alliance led by 81-year-old Dr Kamal Hossain, had, in particular, wanted a caretaker government to take over in the weeks heading into the polls. The BNP says a caretaker government is essential for free and fair elections, but the ruling Awami League says the demand is unconstitutional.

The BNP, which is in disarray following the jailing of its chief, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges, had also pressed for a caretaker government at the 2014 election and boycotted it after the demand was not met. The last election was marred by deadly violence and shunned by international observers as flawed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is seeking to be reelected for a third successive term.

“With the aim of rescuing democracy and a continuation of the movement to sustain a democratic process, Jatiya Oikyafront decided to participate in the election," said Hossain in a statement, following days of deliberations with alliance members.

Hasina’s government has won widespread global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, but its critics have decried Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule. In particular, they have attacked her for the government’s heavy-handed handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech.

While announcing the election date on Thursday, KM Nurul Huda, the head of Bangladesh’s Election Commission, urged all parties to participate in the election "to make it meaningful”.

Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

A group of opposition parties in Bangladesh, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said on Sunday it plans to contest the December 23 general election, despite the ruling party last week rejecting a series of its demands.

A group of opposition parties in Bangladesh, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said on Sunday it plans to contest the December 23 general election, despite the ruling party last week rejecting a series of its demands. The Jatiya Oikyafront, a 20-party alliance led by 81-year-old Dr Kamal Hossain, had, in particular, wanted a caretaker government to take over in the weeks heading into the polls. The BNP says a caretaker government is essential for free and fair elections, but the ruling Awami League says the demand is unconstitutional. The BNP, which is in disarray following the jailing of its chief, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges, had also pressed for a caretaker government at the 2014 election and boycotted it after the demand was not met. The last election was marred by deadly violence and shunned by international observers as flawed. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is seeking to be reelected for a third successive term. “With the aim of rescuing democracy and a continuation of the movement to sustain a democratic process, Jatiya Oikyafront decided to participate in the election," said Hossain in a statement, following days of deliberations with alliance members. Hasina’s government has won widespread global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar, but its critics have decried Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule. In particular, they have attacked her for the government’s heavy-handed handling of student protests this year and its crackdown on free speech. While announcing the election date on Thursday, KM Nurul Huda, the head of Bangladesh’s Election Commission, urged all parties to participate in the election "to make it meaningful”. Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

Bangladesh opposition alliance to contest polls 'to rescue democracy'

Bangladesh's ruling party has rejected an opposition party's demand for a caretaker government it says is essential for a free and fair general election due to be held in December.

Although Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League had agreed to unprecedented talks last week with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to discuss the arrangement, on Wednesday it declared the demand was unconstitutional.

"Our prime minister told them there is no provision in our constitution to form such a caretaker government," said Obaidul Quader, her party's secretary general.

The BNP, which is in disarray after the jailing of its chief, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges, also pressed for a caretaker government at the last general election in 2014.

When that demand was not met, it boycotted the poll.

The party and its allies were still undecided whether to participate in the election, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Reuters.

Quader said the Awami League would ensure a level playing field by preventing ministers from using government buildings or vehicles for the next three months.

Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

On Wednesday the Awami League also rejected BNP demands to reconsider Khaleda's sentence, which was doubled to 10 years on October 30, so ruling her out of December's contest.

"We told them the High Court already announced its verdict about Khaleda Zia," Quader said.

Bangladesh's ruling party has rejected an opposition party's demand for a caretaker government it says is essential for a free and fair general election due to be held in December.

Bangladesh's ruling party has rejected an opposition party's demand for a caretaker government it says is essential for a free and fair general election due to be held in December. Although Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League had agreed to unprecedented talks last week with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to discuss the arrangement, on Wednesday it declared the demand was unconstitutional. "Our prime minister told them there is no provision in our constitution to form such a caretaker government," said Obaidul Quader, her party's secretary general. The BNP, which is in disarray after the jailing of its chief, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, on corruption charges, also pressed for a caretaker government at the last general election in 2014. When that demand was not met, it boycotted the poll. The party and its allies were still undecided whether to participate in the election, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Reuters. Quader said the Awami League would ensure a level playing field by preventing ministers from using government buildings or vehicles for the next three months. Hasina and Khaleda, who between them have ruled Bangladesh for decades, are bitter rivals and the BNP says its leader has been jailed on trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics. On Wednesday the Awami League also rejected BNP demands to reconsider Khaleda's sentence, which was doubled to 10 years on October 30, so ruling her out of December's contest. "We told them the High Court already announced its verdict about Khaleda Zia," Quader said.

Bangladesh rejects opposition plea for caretaker government

A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one. The ruling party may have made a strategic mistake by sending the former prime minister and leader of the country&#39;s largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to jail.

Bangladesh is less than a year away from the 11th parliamentary elections. Analysts in Bangladesh say that between the two Begums, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia&#39;s only card to return to power is sympathy.&nbsp;

The ruling party may have just given that to her by implicating her on charges of embezzling charity funds of more than 20 million Bangladeshi takas (USD 252,000).

Subsequently, a special court in Dhaka on February 8 sent Zia to jail for five years. Five others including her son Tarique Rahman have been given 10 years jail terms in the same case.

BNP leaders say the charges are false and politically motivated to restrain her from contesting in the elections. The BNP and its alliances have engaged in movements across the country demanding the release of the former prime minister.&nbsp;

BNP&#39;s boycott of the 2014 elections has put the party in an existential crisis after the government sent activists and senior leaders of the party to jail on charges of political violence. Subsequently, some of the leaders resigned from the party while others have failed to stir a political campaign or movement in fear of arrests.&nbsp;

The rightwing party founded by General Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, will be led by their son Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in London to avoid arrest in Dhaka.

For BNP the upcoming elections will be crucial for its existence but the ruling party will make sure that it has a clear passage to retain the government.&nbsp;

In 2014 the international community criticised the Awami League for holding a controversial election without the participation of key opposition. There was speculation that an interim election was inevitable. But Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina&#39;s government proved those speculations wrong.

This time it has become much stronger. The government has strengthened its relationship with both China and India - the two influential economies in South Asia - through economic and bilateral cooperation.&nbsp;

The Awami League has secured Chinese financial assistance of $24 billion in October 2016, becoming the largest financial contributor to Bangladesh. Within its two consecutive tenure since 2008, the party has also secured three lines of credits from India worth $8 billion including a defence cooperation deal worth $500 million.

All of these would have a bearing in the coming elections and while the Awami League really has courted the ball all the way, the opposition may just have found a cue.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia's only card to return to power is sympathy.

A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one. The ruling party may have made a strategic mistake by sending the former prime minister and leader of the country's largest opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to jail. Bangladesh is less than a year away from the 11th parliamentary elections. Analysts in Bangladesh say that between the two Begums, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is more politically sound than her nemesis Khaleda Zia but Zia's only card to return to power is sympathy. The ruling party may have just given that to her by implicating her on charges of embezzling charity funds of more than 20 million Bangladeshi takas (USD 252,000). Subsequently, a special court in Dhaka on February 8 sent Zia to jail for five years. Five others including her son Tarique Rahman have been given 10 years jail terms in the same case. BNP leaders say the charges are false and politically motivated to restrain her from contesting in the elections. The BNP and its alliances have engaged in movements across the country demanding the release of the former prime minister. BNP's boycott of the 2014 elections has put the party in an existential crisis after the government sent activists and senior leaders of the party to jail on charges of political violence. Subsequently, some of the leaders resigned from the party while others have failed to stir a political campaign or movement in fear of arrests. The rightwing party founded by General Ziaur Rahman, husband of Khaleda Zia, will be led by their son Tarique Rahman, who has been staying in London to avoid arrest in Dhaka. For BNP the upcoming elections will be crucial for its existence but the ruling party will make sure that it has a clear passage to retain the government. In 2014 the international community criticised the Awami League for holding a controversial election without the participation of key opposition. There was speculation that an interim election was inevitable. But Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina's government proved those speculations wrong. This time it has become much stronger. The government has strengthened its relationship with both China and India - the two influential economies in South Asia - through economic and bilateral cooperation. The Awami League has secured Chinese financial assistance of $24 billion in October 2016, becoming the largest financial contributor to Bangladesh. Within its two consecutive tenure since 2008, the party has also secured three lines of credits from India worth $8 billion including a defence cooperation deal worth $500 million. All of these would have a bearing in the coming elections and while the Awami League really has courted the ball all the way, the opposition may just have found a cue. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: A jailed Khaleda Zia is more popular than a free one

On the 8th of this month Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who was two-term PM and first woman in Bangladesh to hold the office, was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment for embezzling over Tk 21 million ($252,000) from foreign donations intended for a charity named after the former President Ziaur Rahman, Khalida Zia&#39;s husband, by a special court based in Dhaka. Not only Zia, but her son Tarique Rahman was sentenced for 10 years in the same case.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

BNP and ruling Awami League are two large political parties in Bangladesh. It is with great anguish that I watch how the number of opposition politicians is steadily reducing in numbers and it is possible that ruling Awami League is behind it.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Earlier, Abdul Kadar Mollah of Jamat-e-Islami was executed in 2013 on the charges of mass murder during the Bangladesh liberation movement. Jamat-e-Islami was the third largest political party in Bangladesh as per its institutional strength. The party was broken after Mollah was executed. With Khaleda Zia behind bars and Kadar Mollah executed, it leaves the ruling Awami League as the only large political front.

&nbsp;

The decimation of the Opposition has led many to question whether the Awami League is purposefully seeing through the punishments meted out to its main opposition figures. Another way of looking at it would be to check whether Awami League helped to embolden Democracy in Bangladesh or not.

&nbsp;

Earlier, a caretaker government used to be appointed during the crucial election process. This caretaker government which was earlier headed by the chief justice ensured a neutral poll process. This commitment to neutral government died as Sheikh Hasina returned to the power. In 2011, Hasina abolished the caretaker government system, citing that they can&#39;t allow unelected people to oversee national elections. The 2014 general elections were boycotted by Zia&rsquo;s BNP and Jamat-e-Islami and other opposition leaders, citing cheating done by Awami League.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The 2015 municipal polls were a blot on Bangladesh&#39;s face. Journalists covering the election witnessed the Awami League workers taking control of major electoral booth. The dismay with the situation was expressed by international figures, including the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The incident of Swedish envoy being heckled near a booth was also condemned worldwide.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

PM Hasina&#39;s Awami League seems to hold on to power by pulling down the opposition rather than recourse the rough climb to power. This crab-like the behaviour of Bangladesh&#39;s prime minister is condemnable as she is competing with Zia in a negative manner.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

As far as the February 8 judgement is concerned, which gave prison to Khaleda Zia, there are glaring discrepancies. Firstly, according to Surendra Kumar Sinha, the former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, only the Supreme Court is reliable and independent court in Bangladesh. It is the only institution which is free from executive pressure. He told the dark fact that 80% of lower courts are not under the purview of Supreme Court. Even the Pakistan judiciary is better than its Bangladeshi counterpart. The 16th Constitutional Amendment added fuel to the fire. This ammendment allows the parliament to impeach any High Court judge with a 2/3 majority. This parliament is currently occupied by Hasina&rsquo;s Awami League.

&nbsp;

Zia&#39;s trial took in a special court based in Dhaka, which according to the former Chief Justice&#39;s logic, the judgment is possibly not given by an independent judicial body The claim of BNP that the judicial trial is politically motivated needs to be investigated thoroughly.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is said that Hasina is good friend of India. Her father took steps to improve the bilateral ties when Indira Gandhi was India&#39;s prime minister and Hasina took some measures with Manmohan Singh and Modi as well. But what is the use of being the best friend of India who is killing democracy in her own home? If Hasina wants to befriend India then she must befriend the ideology of democracy which kept India alive these years.

&nbsp;

A democracy without political opposition to the government is unimaginable for Indians. Unfortunately, our neighbours don&rsquo;t share a similar fate. In Nepal, we have only opposition no government! In Myanmar, the democracy is shared with the military junta. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan have democracy but excessively influenced by Chinese aggression. And here in Bangladesh, we have a democracy without any opposition.

&nbsp;

The reason is, the journalists in those nations are sleeping. Or they might have been purchased.

&nbsp;

I want to request all the journalists in every country to ensure the safety of their democracy since it is their duty to do it. Especially, I want to say to every Bangladeshi journalist to wake up please,&nbsp; to think of the next generation which will want to experience the ultimate pleasure of democracy and freedom.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The decimation of the Opposition leaders has led many to question whether the Awami League is purposefully seeing through the punishments meted out to its main opposition figures.

On the 8th of this month Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who was two-term PM and first woman in Bangladesh to hold the office, was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment for embezzling over Tk 21 million ($252,000) from foreign donations intended for a charity named after the former President Ziaur Rahman, Khalida Zia's husband, by a special court based in Dhaka. Not only Zia, but her son Tarique Rahman was sentenced for 10 years in the same case. BNP and ruling Awami League are two large political parties in Bangladesh. It is with great anguish that I watch how the number of opposition politicians is steadily reducing in numbers and it is possible that ruling Awami League is behind it. Earlier, Abdul Kadar Mollah of Jamat-e-Islami was executed in 2013 on the charges of mass murder during the Bangladesh liberation movement. Jamat-e-Islami was the third largest political party in Bangladesh as per its institutional strength. The party was broken after Mollah was executed. With Khaleda Zia behind bars and Kadar Mollah executed, it leaves the ruling Awami League as the only large political front. The decimation of the Opposition has led many to question whether the Awami League is purposefully seeing through the punishments meted out to its main opposition figures. Another way of looking at it would be to check whether Awami League helped to embolden Democracy in Bangladesh or not. Earlier, a caretaker government used to be appointed during the crucial election process. This caretaker government which was earlier headed by the chief justice ensured a neutral poll process. This commitment to neutral government died as Sheikh Hasina returned to the power. In 2011, Hasina abolished the caretaker government system, citing that they can't allow unelected people to oversee national elections. The 2014 general elections were boycotted by Zia’s BNP and Jamat-e-Islami and other opposition leaders, citing cheating done by Awami League. The 2015 municipal polls were a blot on Bangladesh's face. Journalists covering the election witnessed the Awami League workers taking control of major electoral booth. The dismay with the situation was expressed by international figures, including the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. The incident of Swedish envoy being heckled near a booth was also condemned worldwide. PM Hasina's Awami League seems to hold on to power by pulling down the opposition rather than recourse the rough climb to power. This crab-like the behaviour of Bangladesh's prime minister is condemnable as she is competing with Zia in a negative manner. As far as the February 8 judgement is concerned, which gave prison to Khaleda Zia, there are glaring discrepancies. Firstly, according to Surendra Kumar Sinha, the former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, only the Supreme Court is reliable and independent court in Bangladesh. It is the only institution which is free from executive pressure. He told the dark fact that 80% of lower courts are not under the purview of Supreme Court. Even the Pakistan judiciary is better than its Bangladeshi counterpart. The 16th Constitutional Amendment added fuel to the fire. This ammendment allows the parliament to impeach any High Court judge with a 2/3 majority. This parliament is currently occupied by Hasina’s Awami League. Zia's trial took in a special court based in Dhaka, which according to the former Chief Justice's logic, the judgment is possibly not given by an independent judicial body The claim of BNP that the judicial trial is politically motivated needs to be investigated thoroughly. It is said that Hasina is good friend of India. Her father took steps to improve the bilateral ties when Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister and Hasina took some measures with Manmohan Singh and Modi as well. But what is the use of being the best friend of India who is killing democracy in her own home? If Hasina wants to befriend India then she must befriend the ideology of democracy which kept India alive these years. A democracy without political opposition to the government is unimaginable for Indians. Unfortunately, our neighbours don’t share a similar fate. In Nepal, we have only opposition no government! In Myanmar, the democracy is shared with the military junta. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan have democracy but excessively influenced by Chinese aggression. And here in Bangladesh, we have a democracy without any opposition. The reason is, the journalists in those nations are sleeping. Or they might have been purchased. I want to request all the journalists in every country to ensure the safety of their democracy since it is their duty to do it. Especially, I want to say to every Bangladeshi journalist to wake up please, to think of the next generation which will want to experience the ultimate pleasure of democracy and freedom. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: In punishing Khaleda Zia, was Awami League being vindictive

It&rsquo;s apparently premature, yet 2019 election talks have already started in Bangladesh and almost surely election fever will grip the country from early next year. There are reasons for this early election enthusiasm and the chief of which is that, the 2014 election was a one-sided affair without BNP, the main Opposition party, and that too with extremely low voter&rsquo;s turn out. There is interest and urge for a proper election in the general populace, media and civil society.

Under the current circumstances, the vital question though is whether the next one will be an all-inclusive and fair one and whether the incumbent Awami League (AL) is ready for that. It seems that the main Opposition, although out of the parliament now, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will participate in the next election with or without a neutral caretaker government, upon the demand of which they boycotted the last one. But, if there is another one-sided election or if a rigged election is on the cards, what will be the outcome of that domestically and internationally?

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Awami League&rsquo;s political legitimacy in its second of these two consecutive terms came under scrutiny because of the questionable validity of the 2014 election. Many analysts have commented that there is a sense of a lack of accountability and bad governance, stemming from that dubious mandate. BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it.

BNP learned the limit of its cadre power and now a tamed BNP is looking forward to the election and its political survival.&nbsp;Although the BNP still seems to have a considerable popular base, it failed&nbsp;due to its organisational and motivational weakness, to bring people on the streets and organise mass agitation to force the government for an early or midterm poll. AL political cadres on the streets and the police together suppressed their attempt fairly easily.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>In Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then it&rsquo;s possible outcome.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=In Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then it?s possible outcome." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

But in Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then about it&rsquo;s outcome. Performance wise, the AL government, by and large, maintained the momentum of moderate economic growth that had been there in Bangladesh for the last couple of decades. It delivered, in a big way, on its election promise of completing the trial of the war criminals of 1971 and, in the process, the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Thus, a considerable political force and ally of BNP was eliminated. This party is also in disarray and it seems unlikely that they will be participating in the next election pending a possible ban on them.

The AL government came hard on the radical Islamists fractions in Bangladesh after the July terror attack in Dhaka in 2016. The government tends to project itself to the West and India as the true demolisher of Islamic radicalism in Bangladesh. However, it&rsquo;s not clear whether the key western countries upon whom Bangladesh&rsquo;s vital exports depend will accept another 2014 style one-sided election.

BNP meanwhile was trying to convince the West and India that it&rsquo;s not sympathetic to Islamic radicals, and there is no danger of the spread of Islamic militancy if they come to power. It also tries to assure India that if it comes to power in Bangladesh insurgents of India&rsquo;s northeast will have no passage or sanctuary in Bangladesh. BNP believes that Indian support helped the post-2014 AL government to gain recognition in the international arena.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country&rsquo;s political course.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country?s political course." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country&rsquo;s political course. If there are enough genuine pressure from the EU, US, Gulf countries and, at least, a neutrality from India the Bangladesh government might have to shed any possibility of one-sided or rigged election. In that case, the government will be forced to negotiate with the Opposition to facilitate a free and fair election.

If the mentioned pressure is low from the quartet the probability of one-sided or rigged election might be on the cards. It&rsquo;s tough to predict what happens in case of a divided quartet. The danger would be heightened if there is no negotiation between the government and Opposition.&nbsp;In such scenario, the AL might have no other way but to try to cling on to power at any cost as they would fear hostile reprisal from much oppressed BNP in any possibility of the latter&rsquo;s coming to power. But if the AL try this and fail, the fall could be big and costly. Bangladesh has a bloody and tumultuous past.

Such uncertainty is bad for a reasonably large country of 165 million that has high potential under a stable condition. There could also be some considerable spillover effect in the region in case things go grossly wrong in Bangladesh. The commoners in Bangladesh expect that all key stakeholders should apply their prudence and good judgment for the greater and collective well being the country and its people.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

In Bangladesh, a genuine election is necessary for the greater and collective well being the country and its people

It’s apparently premature, yet 2019 election talks have already started in Bangladesh and almost surely election fever will grip the country from early next year. There are reasons for this early election enthusiasm and the chief of which is that, the 2014 election was a one-sided affair without BNP, the main Opposition party, and that too with extremely low voter’s turn out. There is interest and urge for a proper election in the general populace, media and civil society. Under the current circumstances, the vital question though is whether the next one will be an all-inclusive and fair one and whether the incumbent Awami League (AL) is ready for that. It seems that the main Opposition, although out of the parliament now, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will participate in the next election with or without a neutral caretaker government, upon the demand of which they boycotted the last one. But, if there is another one-sided election or if a rigged election is on the cards, what will be the outcome of that domestically and internationally? BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it. × Awami League’s political legitimacy in its second of these two consecutive terms came under scrutiny because of the questionable validity of the 2014 election. Many analysts have commented that there is a sense of a lack of accountability and bad governance, stemming from that dubious mandate. BNP tried to launch a popular agitation after 2014, sometimes with violence, but the AL government shrewdly suppressed it. BNP learned the limit of its cadre power and now a tamed BNP is looking forward to the election and its political survival. Although the BNP still seems to have a considerable popular base, it failed due to its organisational and motivational weakness, to bring people on the streets and organise mass agitation to force the government for an early or midterm poll. AL political cadres on the streets and the police together suppressed their attempt fairly easily. In Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then it’s possible outcome. × But in Bangladesh, people are more concerned now about a proper election first and then about it’s outcome. Performance wise, the AL government, by and large, maintained the momentum of moderate economic growth that had been there in Bangladesh for the last couple of decades. It delivered, in a big way, on its election promise of completing the trial of the war criminals of 1971 and, in the process, the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami. Thus, a considerable political force and ally of BNP was eliminated. This party is also in disarray and it seems unlikely that they will be participating in the next election pending a possible ban on them. The AL government came hard on the radical Islamists fractions in Bangladesh after the July terror attack in Dhaka in 2016. The government tends to project itself to the West and India as the true demolisher of Islamic radicalism in Bangladesh. However, it’s not clear whether the key western countries upon whom Bangladesh’s vital exports depend will accept another 2014 style one-sided election. BNP meanwhile was trying to convince the West and India that it’s not sympathetic to Islamic radicals, and there is no danger of the spread of Islamic militancy if they come to power. It also tries to assure India that if it comes to power in Bangladesh insurgents of India’s northeast will have no passage or sanctuary in Bangladesh. BNP believes that Indian support helped the post-2014 AL government to gain recognition in the international arena. Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country’s political course. × Bangladesh is in incertitude now and its pretty difficult to predict the country’s political course. If there are enough genuine pressure from the EU, US, Gulf countries and, at least, a neutrality from India the Bangladesh government might have to shed any possibility of one-sided or rigged election. In that case, the government will be forced to negotiate with the Opposition to facilitate a free and fair election. If the mentioned pressure is low from the quartet the probability of one-sided or rigged election might be on the cards. It’s tough to predict what happens in case of a divided quartet. The danger would be heightened if there is no negotiation between the government and Opposition. In such scenario, the AL might have no other way but to try to cling on to power at any cost as they would fear hostile reprisal from much oppressed BNP in any possibility of the latter’s coming to power. But if the AL try this and fail, the fall could be big and costly. Bangladesh has a bloody and tumultuous past. Such uncertainty is bad for a reasonably large country of 165 million that has high potential under a stable condition. There could also be some considerable spillover effect in the region in case things go grossly wrong in Bangladesh. The commoners in Bangladesh expect that all key stakeholders should apply their prudence and good judgment for the greater and collective well being the country and its people. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Bad governance and rigged elections in Bangladesh

In addition to English and Bengali, my three and a half-year-old son is learning a bit of Arabic in school. He is in playgroup. Once I happened to be in his sports room. What children do there is play with toys and watch rhymes. The very first rhyme they were to hear was: Bismillah Bismillah in the name of Allah.

Later one evening, I found my son flipping through his school book and reading to himself Arabic alphabets. My wife was impressed. Who wouldn&rsquo;t be, particularly, in a country like Bangladesh where Arabic is not a mere language, but the symbol of Islam.

I remember my school days. From third grade, we had mandatory Religious Studies. Islamic Studies for Muslim, Hindu Studies for Hindus. And the books were akin to moral science. The world is more advanced now. That is why, probably, children at present are taught religion a lot earlier.

But the scene is not same everywhere. Public schools follow a combined curriculum set by the government, where religion starts as a compulsory subject from the third grade. Private schools, especially pre-schools enjoy their own liberty. Education, like many things else, has become a mushrooming business in Bangladesh. A bit of inclusion of religion in studies, no matter how young the children are, could make all the difference. This practice is mainly to persuade parents rather than ensuring children a proper education.

Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, &lsquo;&lsquo;First know your own mother tongue, then English.&rsquo;&rsquo; He travelled widely and saw that without using its own language a nation cannot prosper. Since the birth of Bangladesh, the quality of education has suffered. Exam questions leak is a constant problem. As the rate of successfully passing an exam has gone up, the standard of education has steeply gone down.

The other day a cousin of mine requested me to fill up a bank account opening form for her. Why? It is written in English. But my cousin has a BA degree. What type of graduates is the country breeding that they cannot even fill up a simple form in English?

For the disastrous nature of the Bengali medium education system, a significant number of parents are sending their kids to English medium schools. And then, largely for the poor, there is the madrasa education system. And very recently, the government has given recognition to Dawra degree of Qwami madrasa as equivalent to the status of a masters degree. Thus, presently, in Bangladesh, there are four types of education system.

A few weeks ago, the ruling Awami League allegedly approved a project to build mosques and Islamic cultural centers in every district and sub-district across the country, with over $1 billion in funding from Saudi Arabia. Even though the Saudi government subsequently denied any such funding. For long the Kingdom has been known to spread Sunni extremism through these sort of donations around the globe.

Also, early this year, changes came in the school text books of Bangladesh to appease the Islamist groups, particularly Hefazat-e-Islam. Let us look at a piece regarding this issue published in New York Times on February 3, 2017. &lsquo;&lsquo;The Bengali letter &ldquo;o&rdquo; used to stand for &ldquo;ol,&rdquo; a yam; now it stands for &ldquo;orna,&rdquo; which is a scarf worn by women for modesty. Texts by non-Muslim writers, such as the classical poet Gyandas or the contemporary novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay&mdash;have been removed. Also gone are a small excerpt from the Ramayana, a Hindu classic that Islamists reject as foreign to the Muslim canon, and songs of the Sufi icon Lalon Shah, whose syncretic faith is anathema to Muslim conservatives.&rsquo;&rsquo;

That is not all. The removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court building shocked the secular minds of Bangladesh. Taking this as a victory, now the Islamist groups want demolition of all statues from the country.

Our language and culture are not out of danger in these darkest moments. The celebration of Bengali New Year did not go smooth this year. Some fundamentalist groups protested terming the festivities un-Islamic and Hindu culture.

So here we are. The consequences of Islamism are everywhere&mdash;in thinking, even in clothing. Over the last twenty years, there has been a remarkable increase of women wearing hijab and burqa. In the streets of Dhaka, it may also seem normal to spot a five-or six-year-old girl, fully covered, walking by.

Unfortunately, symptoms are everywhere that the syncretic Bengali culture of Bangladesh is suffering at the hands of Islamic extremism.

Texts by non-Muslim writers, such as the classical poet Gyandas or the contemporary novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay have been removed from textbooks in Bangladesh

In addition to English and Bengali, my three and a half-year-old son is learning a bit of Arabic in school. He is in playgroup. Once I happened to be in his sports room. What children do there is play with toys and watch rhymes. The very first rhyme they were to hear was: Bismillah Bismillah in the name of Allah. Later one evening, I found my son flipping through his school book and reading to himself Arabic alphabets. My wife was impressed. Who wouldn’t be, particularly, in a country like Bangladesh where Arabic is not a mere language, but the symbol of Islam. I remember my school days. From third grade, we had mandatory Religious Studies. Islamic Studies for Muslim, Hindu Studies for Hindus. And the books were akin to moral science. The world is more advanced now. That is why, probably, children at present are taught religion a lot earlier. But the scene is not same everywhere. Public schools follow a combined curriculum set by the government, where religion starts as a compulsory subject from the third grade. Private schools, especially pre-schools enjoy their own liberty. Education, like many things else, has become a mushrooming business in Bangladesh. A bit of inclusion of religion in studies, no matter how young the children are, could make all the difference. This practice is mainly to persuade parents rather than ensuring children a proper education. Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore famously said, ‘‘First know your own mother tongue, then English.’’ He travelled widely and saw that without using its own language a nation cannot prosper. Since the birth of Bangladesh, the quality of education has suffered. Exam questions leak is a constant problem. As the rate of successfully passing an exam has gone up, the standard of education has steeply gone down. The other day a cousin of mine requested me to fill up a bank account opening form for her. Why? It is written in English. But my cousin has a BA degree. What type of graduates is the country breeding that they cannot even fill up a simple form in English? For the disastrous nature of the Bengali medium education system, a significant number of parents are sending their kids to English medium schools. And then, largely for the poor, there is the madrasa education system. And very recently, the government has given recognition to Dawra degree of Qwami madrasa as equivalent to the status of a masters degree. Thus, presently, in Bangladesh, there are four types of education system. A few weeks ago, the ruling Awami League allegedly approved a project to build mosques and Islamic cultural centers in every district and sub-district across the country, with over $1 billion in funding from Saudi Arabia. Even though the Saudi government subsequently denied any such funding. For long the Kingdom has been known to spread Sunni extremism through these sort of donations around the globe. Also, early this year, changes came in the school text books of Bangladesh to appease the Islamist groups, particularly Hefazat-e-Islam. Let us look at a piece regarding this issue published in New York Times on February 3, 2017. ‘‘The Bengali letter “o” used to stand for “ol,” a yam; now it stands for “orna,” which is a scarf worn by women for modesty. Texts by non-Muslim writers, such as the classical poet Gyandas or the contemporary novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay—have been removed. Also gone are a small excerpt from the Ramayana, a Hindu classic that Islamists reject as foreign to the Muslim canon, and songs of the Sufi icon Lalon Shah, whose syncretic faith is anathema to Muslim conservatives.’’ That is not all. The removal of the statue of Lady Justice from the Supreme Court building shocked the secular minds of Bangladesh. Taking this as a victory, now the Islamist groups want demolition of all statues from the country. Our language and culture are not out of danger in these darkest moments. The celebration of Bengali New Year did not go smooth this year. Some fundamentalist groups protested terming the festivities un-Islamic and Hindu culture. So here we are. The consequences of Islamism are everywhere—in thinking, even in clothing. Over the last twenty years, there has been a remarkable increase of women wearing hijab and burqa. In the streets of Dhaka, it may also seem normal to spot a five-or six-year-old girl, fully covered, walking by. Unfortunately, symptoms are everywhere that the syncretic Bengali culture of Bangladesh is suffering at the hands of Islamic extremism.

Rise of Islamism leaves its footprints on the secular culture of Bangladesh

Much like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India, Bangladesh&#39;s Awami League&nbsp;has adopted the strategy of letting the masses guess their next move. The Indian public was surprised when BJP candidate Yogi Adityanath was declared as the&nbsp;chief minister&nbsp;of the state of Uttar Pradesh, mainly because he was denied the&nbsp;status of the&nbsp;chief ministerial&nbsp;candidate before the elections.

A similar approach was adopted in Bangladesh by the ruling Awami League regarding a newly-founded, yet&nbsp;influential, religious-social outfit called Hefazat-e-Islam. Bangladesh&#39;s government allowed the Islamist pressure group to hold a huge anti-blogger rally in early 2013, where the latter went way beyond just denouncing secular thinkers. Later, the party denied permission for a second rally to the outfit and clamped down on thyem with force that resulted in several fatalities. Later, the government granted land and other facilities to them for developing religious infrastructure. Such conflicting moves have left people bewildered.&nbsp;

In a controversial act, the party officially&nbsp;recognised&nbsp;one degree of Qawmi Madrassa, an informal education system that is closely related to the pressure group. Correspondingly, another demand by the same group was acknowledged when the government removed the&nbsp;&#39;Bengalised&#39;&nbsp;statue of Greek goddess Themis from the Supreme Court. The statue&nbsp;symbolises&nbsp;justice and fairness. The Hefazat group expressed its gratitude to the Prime Minister for the action. However, it was later discovered that the statue was only to be reinstalled in an inner and less visible spot within the premises of the same court.

Political enthusiasts and analysts are stumbling to make any sense out of these unfolding developments. The Awami League strategists must be grinning with glee as they keep calling the uninterrupted diversionary shots. The real issues, on the other hand, hardly make it to the headlines.

However, it is imprudent to ignore the supposed rise of the regressive Islamist force as it clearly aspires to fill the vacuum of an opposition party in the political space since the main erstwhile opposition - the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party - has been&nbsp;sidelined.&nbsp;

The Themis statue is the first of its kind sculpture in Bangladesh.&nbsp;It is situated beside the National Eid Gah, where Muslims congregate twice a year for the biggest Eid prayers of the country.&nbsp;Notwithstanding the sense of high drama on the matter, the Awami League appears to have acted wisely.

Clamour for removal of hundreds of other similar statues have emerged such as &#39;The mother and children&#39; of 1971 in Eskaton, Central Dhaka and &#39;The three Freedom Fighters&#39; that includes a woman, on the Airport Road. The group also wanted the Baul statue in front of the Airport removed. They got the statue removed, despite resistance from liberal Dhakaites.&nbsp;

Another notable demand made&nbsp;was for the removal of all statues from the entire country. As one rightly says, give them an inch and they will take a mile. During the 2013 anti-blogger rally, the group also made a 13-point-demand charter which would essentially turn Bangladesh into one of the most regressive theocracies in the world. They have not abandoned that position yet. In an instance of 2008, when the government attempted to draft a comprehensive women&#39;s empowerment bill, the outfit and its allies started a protest that ultimately led to&nbsp;scrapping&nbsp;of the same.&nbsp;

The case of the Themis statue depicts Hefazat&#39;s sense of priority in&nbsp;polity, similar to the BJP&#39;s game of putting Gau-Raksha above poverty alleviation.&nbsp;Hopeful liberals of Bangladesh still want to put their faith in the officially secular Awami League. Politicking with emotive religious issues has become an unfortunate reality in South Asia. One can only hope that the grand old party of Bangladesh will stick to its progressive credentials in the final count to uphold the true spirit of the liberation struggle of Bangladesh which has been the prime revolutionary event in the modern political history of the land.

The case for the removal of the Themis statue from Bangladesh's Supreme Court is similar to the BJP's one of putting Gau-Raksha above poverty alleviation

Much like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India, Bangladesh's Awami League has adopted the strategy of letting the masses guess their next move. The Indian public was surprised when BJP candidate Yogi Adityanath was declared as the chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, mainly because he was denied the status of the chief ministerial candidate before the elections. A similar approach was adopted in Bangladesh by the ruling Awami League regarding a newly-founded, yet influential, religious-social outfit called Hefazat-e-Islam. Bangladesh's government allowed the Islamist pressure group to hold a huge anti-blogger rally in early 2013, where the latter went way beyond just denouncing secular thinkers. Later, the party denied permission for a second rally to the outfit and clamped down on thyem with force that resulted in several fatalities. Later, the government granted land and other facilities to them for developing religious infrastructure. Such conflicting moves have left people bewildered. In a controversial act, the party officially recognised one degree of Qawmi Madrassa, an informal education system that is closely related to the pressure group. Correspondingly, another demand by the same group was acknowledged when the government removed the 'Bengalised' statue of Greek goddess Themis from the Supreme Court. The statue symbolises justice and fairness. The Hefazat group expressed its gratitude to the Prime Minister for the action. However, it was later discovered that the statue was only to be reinstalled in an inner and less visible spot within the premises of the same court. Political enthusiasts and analysts are stumbling to make any sense out of these unfolding developments. The Awami League strategists must be grinning with glee as they keep calling the uninterrupted diversionary shots. The real issues, on the other hand, hardly make it to the headlines. However, it is imprudent to ignore the supposed rise of the regressive Islamist force as it clearly aspires to fill the vacuum of an opposition party in the political space since the main erstwhile opposition - the centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party - has been sidelined. The Themis statue is the first of its kind sculpture in Bangladesh. It is situated beside the National Eid Gah, where Muslims congregate twice a year for the biggest Eid prayers of the country. Notwithstanding the sense of high drama on the matter, the Awami League appears to have acted wisely. Clamour for removal of hundreds of other similar statues have emerged such as 'The mother and children' of 1971 in Eskaton, Central Dhaka and 'The three Freedom Fighters' that includes a woman, on the Airport Road. The group also wanted the Baul statue in front of the Airport removed. They got the statue removed, despite resistance from liberal Dhakaites. Another notable demand made was for the removal of all statues from the entire country. As one rightly says, give them an inch and they will take a mile. During the 2013 anti-blogger rally, the group also made a 13-point-demand charter which would essentially turn Bangladesh into one of the most regressive theocracies in the world. They have not abandoned that position yet. In an instance of 2008, when the government attempted to draft a comprehensive women's empowerment bill, the outfit and its allies started a protest that ultimately led to scrapping of the same. The case of the Themis statue depicts Hefazat's sense of priority in polity, similar to the BJP's game of putting Gau-Raksha above poverty alleviation. Hopeful liberals of Bangladesh still want to put their faith in the officially secular Awami League. Politicking with emotive religious issues has become an unfortunate reality in South Asia. One can only hope that the grand old party of Bangladesh will stick to its progressive credentials in the final count to uphold the true spirit of the liberation struggle of Bangladesh which has been the prime revolutionary event in the modern political history of the land.

Awami League's flirting with Hefazat is dangerous for Bangladesh

awami-league

Awami League, News on Awami League, stories on Awami League, articles on Awami League, Awami League stories at Wion, Awami League news, Awami League latest news

awami league