Staff Reporter :
Major opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront on Monday alleged that the government has reinstated mass arrest of its leaders and activists fearing opposition’s victory in the next general elections schedule to be held on December 30.
Dr Kamal Hossain, a top leader of the opposition alliance, came up with the allegation at a meeting with the Election Commission (EC) held at the latter’s headquarters in Dhaka.
He informed the EC that as many as 23,530 BNP and Oikyafront leaders and activists have been accused in 158 cases filed since announcement of the election schedule.
Of the accused, police have so far arrested 6,291 opposition leaders and activists.
Dr Kamal Hossain handed over a list of arrestees to the EC during the meeting.
Oikyafront leaders Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir, Nazrul Islam Khan, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, ASM Abdur Rob, Subrata Chowdhury, Mostafa Mohsin Montu, among others. were present at the meeting.
During the two and a half hours long meeting, Jatiya Oikyafront leaders also raised issues of level playing field, police harassment and violence against the opposition leaders and activists by ruling party men during election campaign.
“Law enforcement agencies have begun mass arrests of opposition leaders and activists across the country since announcement of the polls schedule. Many of them have been booked in fictitious cases, creating panic among the opposition supporters and general voters ahead of the next election. Such a situation is seriously affecting the level-paying field and we have conveyed our deep concern to the EC over the situation,” Oikyafront leader Mahmudur Rahman Manna told The New Nation yesterday.
He said filing of cases and mass arrest have been intensified in the last eight days when police filed 95 cases across the country accusing 21,866 named and unnamed Oikyafront leaders and activists. A total of 2,241 opposition leaders and activists have been arrested in these cases.
“The government has started repressing the opposition leaders and activists using the law enforcing agencies. Even opposition activists couldn’t take part in the campaign because of police harassment and arrest. Candidates are also receiving threats to keep them away from the polls race,” said Mahmudur Rahman Manna.
Under the circumstances, he said, Jatiya Oikyafront fears that the elections will not be held in a fair and credible manner. “We have asked the EC to take necessary steps to ensure a conducive election environment for opposition parties.”
