With campaign trails lighting up across Bangladesh for the upcoming February 12 elections, the BNP has fired the first major salvo. Party chief Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called on voters to deny ballots to figures linked to Pakistan’s 1971 occupation, in a veiled critique of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Rallying supporters in Thakurgaon’s BD High School field, Fakhrul- the nominee for Thakurgaon-1- declared, ‘The very people who stood by Pakistani troops till the last moment now seek power through your votes. Reject them to save Bangladesh from destruction.’ He passionately revived the Liberation War ethos: ‘1971 defines us. We broke free from Pakistan’s tyranny after a bloody fight for sovereignty.’
Turning to local Hindus, he offered solace amid reports of minority anxieties: ‘Fear not the threats of persecution; your safety is paramount.’
Election eve drama intensified as Jamaat and NCP lodged complaints at the Election Commission. Jamaat’s Zubair detailed brutal incidents: ‘Our women workers face indignities like veil removals and phone confiscations, alongside deliberate assaults.’ He cautioned that inaction could spiral into pre-poll chaos.
NCP’s Ayman Raha highlighted attacks on their Dhaka-18 campaign and BNP’s alleged state resource abuse in Dhaka-8. ‘When rules are flouted openly with no accountability, it erodes public trust and fairness in the electoral process,’ she asserted.
This surge in rivalries among parties that once united against Hasina’s regime reveals fractures in the post-Awami League era. As Fakhrul leverages historical grievances, the polls promise a high-stakes battle over Bangladesh’s ideological soul, with implications for stability long after votes are cast.