Just days ahead of the 11th national elections, Election Commissioner Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury today said “situation is under control”.

He came up with the remark in response to a query by reporters at the Election Commission in Dhaka’s Agargaon this afternoon.

Shahadat’s comment comes a day after Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar expressed grave concern over the ongoing spate of violence ahead of the polls scheduled to be held on December 30.

Hoping for a free, fair and peaceful election, Shahadat said, “I admit that anxiety grew among people centering the election. I want to term it political heat”.

He said he did not think that the situation was deteriorating ahead of the polls.

WHAT DID ELECTION COMMISSIONER MAHBUB SAY YESTERDAY?

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder expressed grave concern over the recent incidents of violence.

Saying that violence and election cannot go hand in hand, he added,“If we cannot hold a peaceful election in a violence-free environment after 47 years of independence, the sacrifice of 30 lakh martyrs for independence and democracy will go in vain. We cannot allow this to happen.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday vowed to bring home BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman from London to execute court verdicts on him.

“There is a person who is playing games from London. He is a convicted criminal. If Allah gives us the scope, we will bring home that convicted criminal and execute the verdicts on Bangladesh's soil. We will not allow anyone to play with the fate of the country's people,” she said. 

The PM was addressing a mammoth election rally, organised by Sylhet district and city Awami League, at Government Alia Madrasa ground. 

Hasina alleged that Tarique, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was conspiring against the country.

A special court this year sentenced Tarique to life imprisonment in the August 21 grenade attack cases. Besides, the High Court handed him 10 year's jail term in a graft case.

The PM said Bangladesh earned recognition from around the world as her successive governments in the last 10 years implemented numerous development projects for the welfare of the country and its people.

“Bangladesh will march forward with this honour and recognition. This honour must not be allowed to be lost. That's why we need your votes in favour of 'boat'.” 

Hasina blasted the BNP for giving nominations to “war criminals”. She alleged that the party auctioned nominations to earn money from the nomination seekers.

“Being frustrated with the party's attitude, senior BNP leader and former ambassador Inam Ahmed Chowdhury has joined the Awami League,” she said.

The PM lamented that former finance minister SAMS Kibria's son Reza Kibria was contesting the national election from Habiganj-1 with BNP's electoral symbol “sheaf of paddy”. “Nothing could be more deplorable than this.”

The AL chief said the former BNP-Jamaat government had portrayed Bangladesh “as a country of corruption, militancy and terrorism”. 

She alleged that the state of emergency was proclaimed in the country in 2008 due to the misdeeds of the BNP-Jamaat clique. In the name of resisting the election in 2014, they had unleashed a reign of terror by carrying out arson attacks and killing people, she told the meeting.

Hasina said the Sylhet-Dhaka highway would be turned into a four-lane one and Sylhet city would be provided with all the facilities of a divisional city.

She said the Sylhet international airport would be extended further and each district of the Sylhet division would have a university.

The AL president also introduced the party and grand alliance candidates in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Habiganj before the audience.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, AL joint secretaries Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, organising secretaries Ahmed Hossain, AFM Bahauddin Nasim and Misbahuddin Siraj, Jubo League Chairman Omar Faruk Chowdhury and AL candidate for Sylhet-1 AK Abdul Momen also spoke at the rally, chaired by Sylhet AL acting president Lutfar Rahman. 

Afroza Abbas, a BNP candidate of Dhaka-9 constituency, and her supporters came under attack today while campaigning in Dakshin Goran in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area.

Around 15-20 AL men attacked Afroza Abbas and her party men after they crossed Khilgaon Railgate area around 11:15 am, BNP sources said.

Later, more ruling party activists joined the attackers and damaged the campaign materials ensuing a clash, the sources claimed.

Afroza Abbas, a BNP candidate of Dhaka-9 constituency, and her supporters come under attack on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 while campaigning in Dakshin Goran in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area. Photo: Collected

Around 15 to 20 men of both the parties were injured during the clash, party sources said.

On December 12, BCL men allegedly attacked the motorcade of Afroza Abbas during campaign in Dhaka. They damaged the car of the BNP leader and left her driver injured.

BNP candidate for Laxmipur-3 constituency Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee today said that he would welcome his party if it takes decision to quit the December 30 national election race.

“I will welcome if the election coordination committee of my party quits the polls as there is no atmosphere for the election in the country,” Anee, also publicity affairs secretary of BNP, told The Daily Star this evening.

He said the ruling party leaders and activists and the members of law enforcement agencies are engaged in carrying out terrorist activities in his electoral area.

“I could not carry out electioneering in my area. Under this situation, I informed my party that I would welcome its decision if it quits the polls,” the BNP leader said.

On Monday, Anee came under attack in Shantirhat area of Laxmipur upazila that left 30 of his followers including three journalists injured, the BNP leader alleged.

“My party men are being attacked. Even their residences are also being vandalised. The returning officer is not picking up my phone call,” he said.

The congenial atmosphere is totally absent in the area for holding the election in a free, fair and credible manner, the BNP leader said.

Anee is contesting the polls against Awami League candidate AKM Shajahan Kamal and Islami Andolon Bangladesh candidate Md Ibrahim.

People from different districts are turning up in Narail to campaign for Bangladesh ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

They are hanging posters, distributing leaflets and asking people to vote for Mashrafe, Awami League candidate in Narail-2, said Golam Mortaza Swapan, father of the pacer lovingly called “Narail Express”.

Many of them are doing these with their own money, he said.

“A group of 11 came from Pirojpur today with posters and leaflets and sought vote for my son,” Swapan told The Daily Star over phone on Friday. “Many youths are staying in hotels,”  he  said.

He mentioned a young boy who came all the way from Bogura and was staying at a hotel in the district. The boy happily took the trouble only to see Mashrafe win.

 Not only the leaders and activists of the ruling AL, commoners were also holding rallies for his son, he added.

 Narail-2 has 317,763 constituents -- 157,084 males and 160,679 females.

During a visit to a number of key areas in Narail Sadar, these correspondents found that electioneering for Mashrafe was going on in full swing. Unlike campaigns in other constituencies, it was being conducted by people of all ages and political affiliations and they were campaigning spending their own money.

“Everyone, especially the youths, are raising funds to run the election camps and Mashrafe's campaign,” said Azizur Rahman, who owns a pharmacy at Chachra-Gabtola Bazar in Narail sadar.

Awami League ward-3 President Mintu Biswas said, “I don't know about other areas but in my area, even leaders and activists of Jamaat-BNP are up for Mashrafe.”

On December 19, the correspondents visited Mashrafe's campaign office at Chachra-Gabtola Bazar in the afternoon and talked to a number of people there.

Among them, Sher Ali Biswas said, “A few of us are bearing the expenditure. We will not take any money from Mashrafe even if he offers. People of this area love him a lot.”

Mulia Union Parishad Chairman Rabindranath Adhikary made a similar statement when asked about the expenditure.

Narail Municipality Mayor Jahangir Biswas said, “I have been bearing all the expenditure for Mashrafe's campaign in the municipality.”

Yesterday afternoon, Mashrafe reached Narail and started campaigning himself.

Mashrafe's main rival is AZM Fariduzzaman Farhad, who is contesting with “sheaf of paddy”, the BNP's electoral symbol. Fariduzzaman is the chairman of National People's Party, a component of the Jatiya Oikyafront, led by the BNP and several other parties.

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina ran from Narail-2 in the 2001 national polls and won.