25 December 2018•Update: 25 December 2018
By Md. Kamruzzaman
DHAKA, Bangladesh
Over a dozen candidates of the main opposition party have been injured in pre-election violence, a party official said on Tuesday.
Nineteen candidates and more than 100 supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been injured across the country on Monday, said Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior official of the party, at a press conference in the capital Dhaka.
He accused the ruling Awami League party members of carrying out attacks in 28 constituencies across the country.
“Yesterday was the most violent and most dangerous day for the BNP candidates,” he said, adding that attacks on the opposition party members and supporters have been continuing since the beginning of election campaign earlier this month.
He stated that more than 7,000 of his party members and supporters have been arrested since the country’s top election body announced the election date earlier this month.
However, Abdur Rahman, joint secretary general of the ruling party, rejected the allegations and accused the opposition of launching a “smear campaign” ahead of polls.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief Md Asaduzzama Mia said some parties are levelling allegations simply to keep the election commission and the authorities under pressure.
“We are on alert to make sure no one can hamper people’s security prior to and after the polls,” he was quoted as saying by Bangla Tribune, a local news portal.
Separately, at least 79 opposition party members, including some local leaders and supporters, were held while attending an electoral rally in the country’s northern Lalmonirhat district on Tuesday, a local police officer said.
Omar Faruk, local police in-charge, told Anadolu Agency that the detainees are being interrogated.
According to the police, they were arrested on suspicions of plotting “sabotage activities” ahead of general elections in the country.
The elections will be held on Dec. 30 amid increasing violence across the country and grave concerns from the political circles that the country's election commission was unable to ensure level playing field.
Since the formal electoral campaign began on Dec. 10, Bangladesh has witnessed gross violence in different parts of the country.
It left hundreds of supporters, mostly backing the opposition alliance, injured. Dozens of opposition candidates were also attacked allegedly by ruling party supporters backed by the police forces.
The election commission has decided to deploy military to ensure security and reduce election violence, that increased criticism in home and abroad.
Despite the military deployment across the country, the unrest prevails in Bangladesh.
On Monday, at least two people were killed, over 50 sustained wounds in separate attacks targeting election campaigns nationwide. Vehicles of some heavyweight opposition candidates were also vandalized.
Journalists were also subjected to attacks in different part of the country as at least 10 reporters have been injured in an attack on Monday night in Dhaka city only.
