Elections held under party governments have party nominated candidates. There are independent candidates who are not nominated. Awami League leaders and activists are divided over the election. Clashes and violence are taking place across the country. In the meantime, two people have died, many have been injured. One side is threatening to take a look at the other side, announcing to leave the area, threatening to throw away the knife, breaking arms and legs, threatening to leave the area. With more weeks of election campaigning to go, the country is heating up. Except for some areas, the entire country is burning in the internal fire of the ruling Awami League.
If anyone stands outside the party's nominated candidates, they are expelled. But this time the situation is different. Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has encouraged independent candidates to make the election participatory. In an exchange of views with the nominees at the Ganobhaban, the Prime Minister and the Awami League president said that organizational measures will be taken if someone is elected unopposed. She emphasized that no one should be forced to sit down to encourage individual candidacy. That is, those who have become independent candidates are deeply sensitive and caring towards the Awami League president.
Among the 3,362 people who purchased nomination forms to be Awami League candidates in 300 parliamentary seats across the country, nominations were given in 298 seats in the first round. A few more seats were then left for the leaders of the Jatiya Party and the 14-party alliance. After the formality of withdrawal of nomination papers, there are candidates of Awami League in 264 seats out of 300 seats. Apart from this, there are more than three hundred independent candidates who are not nominated by the party. Awami League's non-nominated leaders are participating in the elections more than those who represent the party symbol.
Those contesting the elections independently without being nominated by the party are called 'dummy candidates'. Awami League's dummy or alternative candidates are active in the election field. 28 of the 44 registered political parties are contesting the elections, but the names and symbols of those parties are largely unknown to voters. There are also doubts whether many have published poster-leaflets about far-reaching election campaigns as candidates. About two thousand candidates are in the election, but in the campaign, Awami League nominated candidates and independent candidates and some candidates of Jatiya Party. Other than that, the rest is on paper. As a result, the election fight is mainly between the Awami League candidates and the independent leaders of the Awami League. As much as the election campaign is being done, it is only by them.
At this time of the election campaign, an atmosphere of fear has been created in the country. In addition to the conflict, threats continue. Almost all of them who are threatening are leaders of various levels of Awami League. From marginal level leaders to member-chairmen of Union Parishads, parliamentarians, and even some ministers are in this threatening group. When the Minister-MP publicly threatens, publicly pronounces that they will be watched if they don't vote, threatens to exclude them from the government's social security program, then it becomes really scary. Some journalists have already been harassed by some MPs. Activists and supporters of independent candidates are at the center of these verbal and physical attacks.
Most of the independent candidates are Awami League leaders. Central Awami League viewed their candidature positively. Although they are 'rebel candidates' in conventional electoral politics, they are not rebels now in the electoral politics of Awami League's new strategy. But in various parts of the country, Sheikh Hasina's 'dummy' candidates are also being called 'traitors', threatened and oppressed. All over the country there are leaders and activists of Awami League at the ward level. Although these activists and committees have been inactive for five whole years, many are active in the hope of various gains during the election; many are active in showing love for the party. This organizational structure or power favors party nominees. As a result, many independent candidates are not getting organizational support even though they are leaders of Awami League. Many have become desperate to corner internal opponents at this opportunity.
From what has been reported in the media so far, it is seen that party candidate workers and independent candidate workers are being harassed by the leaders. The overall picture may not be captured by the media, but the news coming out is frightening. Incidents of disruption of election campaigns are a regular occurrence. In such a situation, many people are not able to campaign; many people are hiding themselves in fear.
It is difficult to get a complete picture of the electoral environment across the country. Not all cases make it to the media, and most do not seek legal aid. Many people do not dare to go to the police station mainly due to the lack of confidence. Elections under a party government, and the question of whether the police will take appropriate action when complaints are raised. Although the Election Commission has made massive changes in the field administration, there are doubts whether the new officials can show the 'courage' to take appropriate action.
The official campaign started from December 18. One more week to go. The election atmosphere of the last 10 days does not seem to be favorable. The situation could be worse. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal told reporters today after the meeting with the National Human Rights Chairman, 'We have held a meeting at the field level. Too many complaints from them didn't get. They have confidence in the administration. In some cases, there was violence, chases, poster tearing. But mostly doesn't seem to have happened much. But I am not saying that violence did not happen at all. We are putting up our petition, keeping in touch with the administration, let them control it strictly.' If two lives were lost in election violence, it is sad if the CEC does not consider it a 'fatal incident'.
Elections will be held on January 7. There are fears that widespread violence or one-sided violence may occur across the country soon after the elections. Efforts should be made now to eliminate this fear. During the election violence in 2001, countless Hindu people were tortured by BNP-Jamaat activists. It is true that Hindus are not in that kind of fear after this election, but the activists and supporters of independent candidates across the country are under threat. They must be protected. If not, this supposedly unwanted attack will stand as a bigger question mark than the election!