Stepping into Chuadanga on Sunday afternoon, the first thing that stood out was the absence of “sheaf of paddy”, the electoral symbol of the BNP.

Only posters of the ruling party candidate Solaiman Haque Zoarder Selun and a few sporting the “hand fan” symbol of Islami Shasantantra Andolon and the “hurricane” symbol of Muslim League could be seen.

For a 200km stretch -- from Jashore to Kushtia, via Jhenaidah, Chuadanga-Meherpur -- the situation was the same.

In Chaudanga-1 constituency, comprising Chuadanga Sadar and Alamdanga upazilas, ruling party activists were campaigning in small groups. However, not a single BNP activist could be seen.

“Where is the BNP office?” this correspondent asked a tea stall owner. He pointed to a direction which led to an unassuming one storey building with no visible signs of being an office. There were no posters; not even of Md Sharifuzzaman, the Jatiya Oikyafront candidate. 

At the entry, a person introduced himself as Advocate Moniruzzaman, stepbrother of Shamsuzzaman Dudu, the BNP's central leader. He said the district BNP had rented out a portion of his house to use as the party office.

“But there are no activities here. All the election work is being conducted from Oikyafront candidate Sharifuzzaman's home,” he said.

Sharifuzzaman's house is a two-storey building with a large four-foot by two-foot banner, seeking votes for the “sheaf of paddy”, hanging in front of it.

Inside the house, piles of printed posters were gathering dust at a corner of the balcony.

This is also where a crowd of BNP activists could be seen.

Queried on why they were not hanging the posters, an Oikyafront worker said they had not gotten the chance to do so.

“Our workers cannot go to the field as ruling party men are attacking them. They even attacked my motorcade and injured the president of Jubo Dal,” said Md Sharifuzzaman.

Police are also filing cases against our activists, said Sharifuzzaman.

“Actually it seems as though we are contesting against the administration, not the Awami League. If the administration would not help them, they would not be able to stand in front of us,” he said.

Police have filed a total of seven cases against BNP men since the election commission announced the polls schedule. BNP men also filed three cases against AL activists, along with filing 12 complaints to the deputy commissioner alleging election code of conduct violations, he said.

“So we are waiting for the election day. We are not quitting…  If necessary, we will resist them,” Sharifuzzaman, a member of the district BNP convening committee said.

Another Oikyafront candidate, in Chuadanga-2, Mahmudul Hasan Khan Babu, had to leave his constituency for Dhaka due to oppression by ruling party men, he claimed.

However, when asked over phone, Babu said he had gone to Dhaka for some work and would return the next day. 

The AL candidate, Selun, denied allegations of using force against the opposition.

“I don't know whether the opposition is conducting their campaign or not; I am busy with my campaign,” Selun said.

The lack of pre-election festivity was glaringly present but more worrying was that the general people from Chuadanga and Meherpur seemed to have no interest in discussing the elections.

When this correspondent asked a grocer about the election atmosphere, he showed no willingness to discuss it or even try to guess who would win.

Another college teacher chose to speak but requested that his name not be published as he did not want “any trouble”.

“I do not want to talk in favour or against any of them,” he said.

On the way to Meherpur, at the banks of the Matha Bhanga river, trucks carried bauls singing songs inspiring people to vote.

Unlike Chuadanga, there were more BNP activists there.

Oikyafront candidate Masud Arun has been conducting election campaign from his office in College Road, Meherpur.

“In the town there is not much problem for our activists. But our campaigners are facing problems in the villages. Almost every day they are facing attacks by ruling party activists.

“I am conducting my campaign every day, but it has become a curse for my men. Police are arresting my people if they join my campaign.

“It seems my popularity is the reason behind the police repression on my party activists,” he said.

Arun alleged that in the last month, around 14 cases had been filed against thousands of BNP leaders and activists.

“They are even going the houses of BNP activists at night and arresting them. They [BNP activists] are not able to stay at home,” he said, adding that he hoped the police would play an impartial role in the coming days.  

He alleged that some police officers were arresting his men only for money. However, he did not raise allegations against his opponent Forhad Hossain Dodul, the candidate of the grand alliance led by AL.

When asked about Arun's allegations against the police, Md Mustafizur Rahman, superintendent of police in Meherpur, said they had rounded up only those who were accused in subversive cases filed earlier.

“We are trying to resist those who can cause anarchy during the election period,” he said. All of those arrested had records of creating anarchy in the past, he added.

“We have arrested many ruling party men who were involved in creating nuisance. But they never mention that.”

The Jatiya Oikyafront candidates in the six constituencies of Khulna are heavily depending on female activists for their campaigns as most of the men are either on the run or under cover fearing police.

Male leaders and activists are seldom seen campaigning. They remain silent or in hiding to avoid police harassment, locals said, adding that using female activists in the campaigns is a strategy of the alliance.

Jamaat leaders have been nominated by the Jatiya Oikyafront in two constituencies of Khulna.

More than half the constituents in Khulna are women and it makes sense to deploy female activists, BNP leaders said.

Meanwhile, the Awami League campaign has gathered significant momentum. Alongside the nominees, AL leaders and activists are campaigning. Women leaders and activists are also seeking votes going door to door.

In the BNP tent, Principal Tarikul Islam, joint-secretary of city BNP, said, “Male activists are engaged in hanging posters and outdoor activities. So, we wanted to involve women in the campaigns more.”

“It should not be considered as our strategy. It is the reality,” said the BNP leader.

Azizul Bari Helal, the BNP nominee in Khulna-4 (Rupsha, Terakhada, Digholia), said AL activists were attacking BNP leaders and activists campaigning for him and they were also facing police harassment.

He alleged that female AL activists were visiting the homes of women who got benefit under VGF and VGD programmes.

BNP activist Zorina Khatun said, “Our male members are on the run to avoid police harassment. They cannot run their businesses and are even forced to shut their business establishments. We are campaigning to get out of this anarchy.”

The 23-year-old along with similarly aged Tanzila sheikh were distributing leaflets of Rokibul Islam Bokul, the BNP candidate for Khulna-3 (Khalishpur, Daulatpur and Khanjahan Ali), at Boikali in the morning after dropping off their children at school.

Clad in burqas, their faces were covered and they were wearing gloves. Several other women were accompanying them.

“Bokul is my brother of the neighbourhood. So, I am distributing leaflets for him,” she said.

Tanzila alleged that the AL did not give the BNP and other political parties any space for political activities. “Is the country only for the AL?” she asked.

On Friday night, these correspondents visited WAPDA Slum in Rupsha Stand Road and talked to 10 women voters who said female  activists were visiting their home every day.

Jatiya Oikyafront’s leader Dr Kamal Hossain today urged law enforcers against following unlawful orders.  

Bringing allegation that the government has taken total control of police and administration, he said, “I have never seen such a situation in my life.”

Kamal, also the president of Gonoforum, was addressing a press briefing just before Jatiya Oikyafront’s manifesto was unveiled at a city hotel in Dhaka.

“Our candidates are arrested everywhere. Not even one of our candidates has been spared from attack and harm,” he claimed.

 Dr Kamal also recast a shadow of doubt over the fairness of the upcoming polls.

“Ensure the polls are held in the way the public wants,” Dr Kamal urged everyone.

If fair and credible polls are not held then the country will be pushed into a terrifying situation, Dr Kamal said.

The veteran leader also echoed the statement of students’ who were protesting for safer roads and said “this country needs to be repaired.”

The Barishal-1 constituency comprises two upazilas -- Gournadi and Agailjhara.

If one visits the upazilas now, just two weeks before the national election, they may get an idea about the polls seeing thousands of posters in favour of Awami League and some of Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

A question may arise in their minds of whether BNP has fielded a candidate there. It's because they won't find any poster supporting the party's candidate except in very few areas in the southern part of Gournadi. They would not also find a party or electoral office in any of the upazila headquarters, let alone any visible campaigning.

The AL leaders said the development works done by current AL lawmaker Abul Hasanat Abdullah had left no scope for the BNP to come up with any issues before the election. On the other hand, BNP has nominated Zahir Uddin Swapan, who has not been in the area for many years, leaving him disconnected with both party activists and voters, they added.

But, BNP leaders allege they cannot carry out campaigning openly due to "rowdy activities" of the AL men and "inaction of police". "We cannot even move freely. How can we set up an electoral office?" Gazi Abu Bakar Siddique, joint convener of Gournadi upazila unit BNP, said.

In the last five general elections after restoration of democracy in early 90s, Hasanat was elected as lawmaker from Barishal-1 thrice. Another AL leader, Talukder Md Yunus, won in the 2008 election. Swapan was elected in this seat in 2001. Being a reformist leader, he did not get nomination in 2008.

Gournadi is considered as a stronghold of BNP, while minority-dominated Agailjhara is an AL stronghold.

The Daily Star correspondents on Saturday visited several areas of the constituency and talked with more than 25 people including leaders and activists of both parties.

While entering Gournadi upazila through the Dhaka-Barishal Highway, the correspondents saw a few posters of Swapan in Mahilara and Batajore areas.

"We saw some posters in our Ashokathi [next bus stop of Batajore] area after Swapan Saheb entered the constituency on Tuesday with a large number of people. Now we do not see him any longer and the posters have also disappeared," said an auto-rickshaw driver.

At Gournadi bus stand, around 25 leaders and activists were found at AL upazila office seeking votes through loudspeakers. No BNP office was seen there.

"The opposition leader [Swapan] has come to the area and held some programmes. But, he has failed to draw public attention and thus refrained from campaigning," Mizanur Rahman, a former central leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League, said at the office.

However, Abu Bakar alleged that they could not conduct campaigning due to pressures from the AL men, who have already attacked the houses of some BNP men in Mahilara.

He claimed they wanted to hold a meeting at Nalchira on Friday, but the AL men gathered there and forced them to call off their programme. They tried to hold the meeting again on Saturday, but the AL men held a counter programme there, he added.

"So, we did not hold our programme to avert a clash. Our leader [Swapan] talked with the OC, who did not take any action," the BNP leader said.

"We are now holding house meetings and giving necessary directives to our leaders and activists. The situation is not favourable for open campaigning now," he added.

Earlier on December 3, Swapan sent a letter to the Election Commission seeking security for his family and party activists under the Representation of the People Order (RPO).

He claimed he was afraid of attacks as Gournadi upazila unit AL General Secretary Harisur Rahman was delivering provocative speeches against him at rallies and meetings.

The BNP candidate on Friday told The Daily Star that at least 35 activists were injured in attacks and they were prevented from campaigning.

"Actually, they have kept me virtually confined to my house," Swapan claimed.

Swapan called a press conference today at 10:00am at his Shorikul residence in Gournadi upazila to discuss these issues.

Harisur denied the allegations straightaway.

Swapan, who was not seen in the area in last 10 years, was making false allegations finding no other issues to draw public support for, he claimed. "We don't need to prevent him. Development works [done by Hasanat] are enough to win public support."

On allegations of forcing BNP leaders to join AL ahead of the election, Harisur said, "No, they are willingly joining Awami League after seeing the development works."

Around 500 BNP men from Batajore union joined AL on Saturday, he informed.

On BNP's poor campaigning in Agailjhara, a local AL leader said the party was not organisationally strong in the upazila.

"Besides, an untold repression was carried out against the minority community in Agailjhara and Gournadi after the 2001 election when Swapan was elected. So, BNP has no moral ground to seek votes here," the leader told The Daily Star asking not to be named.

SM Afzal Hossain, general secretary of Agailjhara upazila BNP, who is now in Dhaka, said they would hang posters within a day or two.

Hinting at internal feud behind poor campaigning, he said either Abdus Sobhan or Akand Kuddus was supposed to get the nomination, but the party had chosen him (Swapan).

"We have to obey the party decision," he observed.

With the December 30 election approaching, people in Satkhira, known as a stronghold of the Jamaat-e-Islami, fear that the party may resort to violence again, the way it did in 2013 centring a verdict on Delawar Hossain Sayedee. 

Police also claimed to have intelligence on violence in the district.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Kachpukur village's Nazrul Islam, a victim of Jamaat's atrocities in 2013, said, “It seems Jamaat men were plotting something over the election”. 

Several others in the district echoed his views.

Nazrul claimed that he survived with injuries two attacks on his life by Jamaat-Shibir men in 2013. “First they opened fire on me and when they failed, they hurled bombs at my business establishment. It all happened for my links with Awami League politics.”

He also claimed that the attackers killed his brother and burned down at least 10 houses belonging to his family members and other relatives.

In between February 28 and December 15, 2013, at least 18 people in Satkhira, mostly leaders and activists of the AL, lost their homes and valuables to Jamaat's atrocities.

The district had been made isolated as the Jamaat men blocked roads felling trees after party leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to death for war crimes.

Law enforcers could hardly reach the district as large holes were dug on roads at different points. People also could not get out of the district, locals recalled.

Mir Mostak Ahmed Robi, Awami League candidate in Satkhira-2, said, “Intelligence reports suggest that they [Jamaat-Shibir] may unleash violence again in Satkhira. The Border Guard Bangladesh and the Rapid Action Battalion told me that they are on alert.”

Sazzadur Rahman, superintendent of police in the district, said he had been focusing on the issue since he joined office a year ago.

“Using different video footage and documents, we are still identifying and arresting those involved in the 2013 attacks,” he said.

“According to intelligence reports, there are possibilities of further attacks. But they will not be able to do anything as our capabilities have increased,” the SP said. “We are raiding various Jamaat-dominated areas”.

Police sources said law enforcers were trying to prevent Jamaat-BNP men, out to create violence, from gathering in different areas. According to Satkhira police, 11,338 people were arrested in the district between June and November this year.

However, there were allegations that some unscrupulous policemen were detaining innocents and releasing them in exchange of money.

Locals in Debhata, Assasuni and Kaliganj upazilas also alleged that AL men were leading police to the arrests and some innocent people, who have enmity with the ruling party men, were becoming victims.

Locals said they were wrapping up their daily activities and returning home before dusk. “You will hardly see anyone outside after 8:00pm as they fear they might get arrested,” said Asaduzzaman, who runs a shop in Debhata.

Asked about the allegation, SP Sazzadur denied it. “If anything happens to anyone, the individual can come to me. I will take action immediately”.