Security forces have been deployed nationwide as Bangladesh awaits a Jan 7 election marred by boycotts, shutdowns
Published : 05 Jan 2024, 01:00 AM
Under the watchful eye of law enforcers, the ballot papers for the election were sent to remote areas. Amid heightened security, the papers are to arrive at 2,964 remote polling centres late on Saturday afternoon and at 39,061 polling centres by 6am on Sunday. Then, on Jan 7, Bangladesh will go to the polls to contest 299 parliamentary seats from 8am to 4pm.
All candidates for the polls must end their election campaigns by 8am on Friday.
This year 28 parties, including the ruling Awami League and the Jatiya Party, are taking part. A total of 1,539 candidates are running under their party banners.
There are also 436 independent candidates, at least a third of whom hold local or central positions in the Awami League.
The 18 days of the election campaign were quite lively amid the struggle for supremacy between party-backed aspirants and independent challengers.
The Election Commission has received 600 complaints over breaches of the electoral code of conduct.
Most races have been peaceful thus far, but rival allegations of attacks, clashes, shootings, and other violence have marred the polls in at least 50 constituencies.
As the campaign winds down, candidates will turn their attention to finalising their polling agents and monitoring the election environment.
However, the election will be held without the participation of Bangladesh’s largest opposition party, the BNP, which is boycotting the polls.
The BNP has maintained that no election held under a government presided over by the Awami League will be free or fair.
The party is conducting a non-cooperation campaign to dissuade people from the polls, even declaring a hartal on election day.
Other parties and organisations have countered with initiatives to inspire voters to go to the polls and candidates have leapt into their campaigns with enthusiasm.
Ahead of the polls, law enforcers and armed forces personnel have been deployed. More than 3,000 executive and judicial magistrates are on duty.
The Election Commission says the situation is under control and no major disruptions are expected. They say they have taken all measures necessary to ensure a peaceful election.
Election analyst Abdul Alim says that several incidents of clashes have occurred between the Awami League and independent candidates, election camps have been vandalised, fights have broken up, and internal strife, violence, and intimidation have flared. The electoral regulations have also been breached.
However, the EC is taking action.
The Awami League is urging people to go to the polls, while the BNP is boycotting and calling for a transport shutdown.
Under the circumstances, maintaining a peaceful polling environment is a major challenge, Alim said.
“The campaigns end on Friday morning. They ended well. If we evaluate the election environment so far, we can say that the run-up to the 9th national parliamentary elections in 2008 were relatively peaceful. The 2014 polls were boycotted by the BNP and the situation turned violent. In 2018, when the BNP took part, there were many kinds of disturbances. We can say that, this time, there were more incidents of violence than in 2008, but less than in 2018.”
Though several parties are not taking part in the election, law enforcers will have to take strict steps to ensure the next few days, including election day, are peaceful, he said.
“What’s done is done,” he said. “Many parties are participating, some others are not. But the Election Commission cannot maintain a peaceful environment on its own. It will be a challenge for the government as well. Law enforcers will have to take proper steps to ensure a peaceful election.”
Nearly 800,000 government employees will be involved in the vote collection process, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said on Thursday. Another 100,000 will be on standby, he said.
Counting the Ansar, BGB, police, RAB, Army, Navy, and Coast Guard, another 800,000 security personnel have been deployed and will remain on duty until the election is over.
“It is quite a large event,” Awal said. “We also have 3,000 magistrates and judges in the field. They will remain there.”
After meeting with top officials from the security forces on Wednesday, EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said, “The law and order situation in the field is under control so far. Law enforcers are not expecting any major threats to the election. But, as a political party has announced that it will try to undermine the election, everyone will remain active on their respective intelligence networks so threats can be neutralised before any incident takes place.”
Voting will take place using paper ballots and ballot boxes at 299 seats on Sunday. The Naogaon-2 race was postponed due to the death of a candidate.
Rallies, meetings, marches, and processions are banned for 48 hours before and 48 hours after the polls. This means these events are barred from 8 am on Jan 5 to 4 pm on Jan 9.
The EC has instructed the returning officers for the polls to ensure a free and peaceful election. The commission will monitor the situation from Dhaka and a law enforcement monitoring cell has been appointed for the polls.
Ballot papers, boxes, and election materials have reached the district level. Helicopters are on standby for transport in case of emergency. Initial election materials have been distributed nationwide and seats in remote areas have already received their ballots.
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
The use of motorcycles is restricted nationwide for 72 hours before and after the polls. It is scheduled to take effect at midnight on Friday. Motorcycles will be banned from midnight on Friday to midnight on Monday, Jan 8, the day after the polls.
However, the restrictions on motorcycle use can be waived for journalists, observers, and other people on duty, but requires the approval of the returning officer. Those permitted to use their motorcycles will receive a sticker from the authorities they must place on their vehicles.
The movement of taxi cabs, pickup trucks, microbuses, and trucks are also restricted from midnight on Friday to midnight on election day.
These restrictions will not apply to law enforcement, the armed forces, members of the administration, and approved observers. There are also no restrictions on the movement of vehicles providing emergency services, medicine, medical service, or other goods used for such purposes.
No restrictions will apply to those vehicles transporting people and families arriving in the country from abroad or travelling abroad from Bangladesh. Those travelling will have to show their airplane tickets to law enforcers.
No restrictions are placed on the movement of long-distance passenger vehicles at the local level.
The restrictions also allow one vehicle for candidates in the election and another for the candidate’s agents. However, these are subject to approval of the returning officer, from whom they must obtain a sticker.