Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
The ruling Awami League is gearing up its campaign ahead of the December 30 election amid discomfort in the opposition camp for arrests and alleged intimidation of its candidates and leaders across the country.
BNP candidate for Jashore-4 Constituency Abu Saeed Mohammad Shahdat Hossain was arrested on Friday in connection with a case filed allegedly for creating anarchy in October, while the party’s candidate for Patuakhali-3 Golam Maula Rony and five others have been sued in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
The opposition BNP has accused the ruling party of using the administration to rob the “level playing field” by citing the instances of arrests and detentions of their leaders and police harassment.
The Awami League currently holds the majority in Parliament, with an overwhelming 275 seats, many of them won uncontested in the 2014 election, which was characterised by low turnouts and political violence.
BNP boycotted the election in protest against the absence of a caretaker government.
“The ruling party is campaigning in full swing, contrarily the opposition parties are busy hide them to avoid arrest and attacks. Such a situation has sent the ruling party in comfort zone, but pushed the opposition in tight corner,” said Dr Tofail Ahmed, a local governance expert.
BNP claims that 152 out of 300 opposition candidates have been attacked while campaigning and more than 8,700 activists, including 15 candidates, have been detained in the past month.
When asked, Dr Tofail Ahmed said, the Election Commission still could not create a level playing field and even, a division appears to have surfaced within the Commission (EC) itself on the issue. “EC should take effective steps to ensure proper election atmosphere.”
“A ‘one-sided’ election campaign is going on across the country dominated by the ruling party in absence of opposition candidates and campaigners. Continued attack and harassment by their opponents and law-enforcers have created an uneven election atmosphere for them,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director
Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
“The violence during the campaign that has mainly targeted the opposition bears out their misgivings about unfair treatment.”
Based on more than 50 interviews with political activists, students, and members of civil society, and analysis of court records and secondary sources, this report has documented repeated instances of arbitrary security force arrest and detention of protesters and political opposition figures, and acts of violence and intimidation by members of the ruling party’s student and youth wings.
Institutions, including the Election Commission, do not appear to be fully prepared to independently and fairly resolve disputes around campaigns and elections, such as on registration, candidacies, and results, according to the report.
The HRW called on the political leaders in Bangladesh to instruct their followers to end the rapidly escalating campaign of violence.
It found that the Bangladesh authorities have tried to stifle dissent and criticism including on newspapers, television networks, and on social media.
The right group quoted journalists as saying that the Digital Security Act (DSA) effectively prohibits investigative journalism.
Bangladeshis are under pressure to self-censor on social media or risk arrest. A newspaper editor told Human Rights Watch, “You have a culture of fear, an environment of fear.”
Widespread electoral violence started as soon as the candidate lists were formally approved, and campaigning began, the report mentioned.
On 11 December, two members of the ruling Awami League (AL) were killed in separate incidents, and on 16 December, a party office was vandalised.
The report went on to say, each of the main parties has blamed the other for the violence. But in cases when the victims belonged to the opposition, the police and Election Commission have typically declined to take action, or even to acknowledge that the incident occurred.
BNP candidate Mohammad Asaduzzaman told Human Rights Watch that after his campaign in Jhenaidah was attacked on 11 December, he has repeatedly filed complaints to the Commission. “They acknowledge receipt, but take no action,” he was quoted to have said.
The media have reported a series attacks on BNP candidates including against Abdul Moyeen Khan on 12 December; Afroza Khanam Rita on 12 December; and on vehicles accompanying BNP Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on 11 December. Romana Mahamud, another BNP candidate, was injured during clashes between the police and her supporters on 15 December, the HRW report said.
On 14 December, alleged members of the ruling party attacked vehicles carrying the Oikyafront leader, Dr. Kamal Hossain. While he was unharmed, at least 25 other people were injured.
The Prime Minister’s political adviser, HT Imam, however, reportedly complained to the Election Commission that “the main target of the violence centring the elections is Awami League men.”
Amid this violence, the government has arrested more opposition members, including 150 on 14 December alone.
In the months leading up to the elections, according to the BNP, more than 300,000 leaders and activists have been accused in “false and fabricated” cases, and thousands have been arrested.
As the violence escalated, the Paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) was deployed across the country on 18 December.
Bangladesh should take immediate steps to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including rights against arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to political participation, Human Rights Watch said.
The United States has announced that it will send election observers, and the House of Representatives called on political leaders and judicial authorities to ensure that the elections are “impartial and inclusive.”
The European Union is deploying an election expert mission, the United Kingdom is supporting local monitoring, and the Commonwealth are considering a request for observers.
“To mitigate the risks of further violence before and after election day, all parties should insist that their supporters desist from violence and the authorities should uphold the law in a neutral fashion,” Adams said.
“International actors who care about stability and democracy in Bangladesh should continue to publicly press the Bangladesh government to create the conditions for a credible election.”
The ruling Awami League is gearing up its campaign ahead of the December 30 election amid discomfort in the opposition camp for arrests and alleged intimidation of its candidates and leaders across the country.
BNP candidate for Jashore-4 Constituency Abu Saeed Mohammad Shahdat Hossain was arrested on Friday in connection with a case filed allegedly for creating anarchy in October, while the party’s candidate for Patuakhali-3 Golam Maula Rony and five others have been sued in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.
The opposition BNP has accused the ruling party of using the administration to rob the “level playing field” by citing the instances of arrests and detentions of their leaders and police harassment.
The Awami League currently holds the majority in Parliament, with an overwhelming 275 seats, many of them won uncontested in the 2014 election, which was characterised by low turnouts and political violence.
BNP boycotted the election in protest against the absence of a caretaker government.
“The ruling party is campaigning in full swing, contrarily the opposition parties are busy hide them to avoid arrest and attacks. Such a situation has sent the ruling party in comfort zone, but pushed the opposition in tight corner,” said Dr Tofail Ahmed, a local governance expert.
BNP claims that 152 out of 300 opposition candidates have been attacked while campaigning and more than 8,700 activists, including 15 candidates, have been detained in the past month.
When asked, Dr Tofail Ahmed said, the Election Commission still could not create a level playing field and even, a division appears to have surfaced within the Commission (EC) itself on the issue. “EC should take effective steps to ensure proper election atmosphere.”
“A ‘one-sided’ election campaign is going on across the country dominated by the ruling party in absence of opposition candidates and campaigners. Continued attack and harassment by their opponents and law-enforcers have created an uneven election atmosphere for them,” Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director
Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
“The violence during the campaign that has mainly targeted the opposition bears out their misgivings about unfair treatment.”
Based on more than 50 interviews with political activists, students, and members of civil society, and analysis of court records and secondary sources, this report has documented repeated instances of arbitrary security force arrest and detention of protesters and political opposition figures, and acts of violence and intimidation by members of the ruling party’s student and youth wings.
Institutions, including the Election Commission, do not appear to be fully prepared to independently and fairly resolve disputes around campaigns and elections, such as on registration, candidacies, and results, according to the report.
The HRW called on the political leaders in Bangladesh to instruct their followers to end the rapidly escalating campaign of violence.
It found that the Bangladesh authorities have tried to stifle dissent and criticism including on newspapers, television networks, and on social media.
The right group quoted journalists as saying that the Digital Security Act (DSA) effectively prohibits investigative journalism.
Bangladeshis are under pressure to self-censor on social media or risk arrest. A newspaper editor told Human Rights Watch, “You have a culture of fear, an environment of fear.”
Widespread electoral violence started as soon as the candidate lists were formally approved, and campaigning began, the report mentioned.
On 11 December, two members of the ruling Awami League (AL) were killed in separate incidents, and on 16 December, a party office was vandalised.
The report went on to say, each of the main parties has blamed the other for the violence. But in cases when the victims belonged to the opposition, the police and Election Commission have typically declined to take action, or even to acknowledge that the incident occurred.
BNP candidate Mohammad Asaduzzaman told Human Rights Watch that after his campaign in Jhenaidah was attacked on 11 December, he has repeatedly filed complaints to the Commission. “They acknowledge receipt, but take no action,” he was quoted to have said.
The media have reported a series attacks on BNP candidates including against Abdul Moyeen Khan on 12 December; Afroza Khanam Rita on 12 December; and on vehicles accompanying BNP Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on 11 December. Romana Mahamud, another BNP candidate, was injured during clashes between the police and her supporters on 15 December, the HRW report said.
On 14 December, alleged members of the ruling party attacked vehicles carrying the Oikyafront leader, Dr. Kamal Hossain. While he was unharmed, at least 25 other people were injured.
The Prime Minister’s political adviser, HT Imam, however, reportedly complained to the Election Commission that “the main target of the violence centring the elections is Awami League men.”
Amid this violence, the government has arrested more opposition members, including 150 on 14 December alone.
In the months leading up to the elections, according to the BNP, more than 300,000 leaders and activists have been accused in “false and fabricated” cases, and thousands have been arrested.
As the violence escalated, the Paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) was deployed across the country on 18 December.
Bangladesh should take immediate steps to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including rights against arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to political participation, Human Rights Watch said.
The United States has announced that it will send election observers, and the House of Representatives called on political leaders and judicial authorities to ensure that the elections are “impartial and inclusive.”
The European Union is deploying an election expert mission, the United Kingdom is supporting local monitoring, and the Commonwealth are considering a request for observers.
“To mitigate the risks of further violence before and after election day, all parties should insist that their supporters desist from violence and the authorities should uphold the law in a neutral fashion,” Adams said.
“International actors who care about stability and democracy in Bangladesh should continue to publicly press the Bangladesh government to create the conditions for a credible election.”
