The Election Commission yesterday said the authorities concerned have taken all necessary measures to ensure the security of voters by appointing a sufficient number of polling officials, judicial and executive magistrates and law enforcers.

The number of voters expected to cast their votes for today's polls is 10.42 crore.

“All necessary efforts have been taken so that voters can safely exercise their voting rights and safely go back home,” said EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed, adding, “Voters are going to give their mandate tomorrow [today].”

While briefing foreign election observers and journalists, who came to Bangladesh to cover the polls, he said there were still a few stray incidents that had taken place in some areas, but there were no serious violations of the code of conduct or any serious electoral offence.

However, he said these small casualties could not affect the election. “The overall situation is still friendly for election.”

He claimed that the European Union “expressed their satisfaction over the election atmosphere and thus, they did not send observers”.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque, who was present at the briefing, replied to some queries of the observers.

Urging the foreign observers to follow the guidelines prepared for them, Helal said election observers can be regarded as judges and that observation is a vital part of fostering democracy around the world.

He told the observers and journalists that for the first time all the 39 registered political parties are participating in the election and the number of candidates -- 1,861, including 128 independent ones -- has also exceeded all previous records.

To conduct the election, he said the EC appointed returning officers (ROs), who are the chief electoral officers in their respective constituencies. The ROs will be given assistance by sufficient officers. Presiding officers will be conducting voting events in polling stations.

The EC has also appointed a sufficient number of magistrates, both executive and judicial, and deployed a sufficient number of different law enforcement agency members, including from the army, navy and air forces.

The EC Secretary said that 64 deputy commissioners and two divisional commissioners have been appointed as ROs and the number of assistant ROs is 582. The number of presiding officers is 40,183, assistant presiding officers 207,312 and polling officers 414,624.

He said the EC has deployed a total of 1,328 executive magistrates. Of them, 652 for trials of code of conduct violations and 676 will be working with law enforcement agencies.

Apart from that, the EC has deployed 244 judicial magistrates for 122 electoral inquiry committees, each consisting two judicial magistrates. 

Helal further informed observers and journalists that the total number of law enforcers deployed for election duties is 608,000.

The break up is: Police - 121,000, Ansars - 446,000 and Village Police - 41,000, Army - 414 platoons, Navy - 48 platoons, Coast Guard - 42 platoons, BGB - 983 platoons, RAB - 600 platoons and mobile and striking force - 2000 platoons. Each platoon has 30 law enforcers.

Ballot papers, voters list, ballot boxes, EVMs (in six constituencies) and all other election materials have been sent to the ROs in polling stations by yesterday evening.

Police yesterday arrested two more people for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of a woman in Noakhali's Subarnachar upazila. 

They are Hasan Ali Bulu and Jashim Uddin. Their names were not mentioned in the first information report, but police held them based on information gleaned from other arrested accused.

Elias Sharif, superintendent of Noakhali police, said a team from Char Jabbar Police Station arrested Bulu in Chattogram city's West Madarbari area around noon. Another team held Jashim from Nazirhat in the morning. 

With the two, seven people, including Awami League leader Ruhul Amin who allegedly ordered his accomplices to rape the mother of four for voting for “sheaf of paddy”, have been arrested in connection with the rape that sparked protest and condemnation.

Four of them were mentioned in the FIR. Nine people were sued over the incident.    

The name of Ruhul, also a former union parishad member, was not included in the FIR.

Talking to reporters, the SP said Bulu was the personal assistant to Ruhul. During investigation, it was revealed that Bulu had hired people for Tk 10,000 to rape the woman.

The police officer also said Bulu had an altercation with the victim at a polling station in Sunday's national election and he also threatened her following the quarrel.

“Whoever is the offender will not be spared,” the SP said, adding that they would arrest others involved in the incident soon.

“They will submit a charge sheet of the case and ensure trial of the case at the Speedy Trial Tribunal.”  

The woman was gang-raped allegedly by 10 to 12 accomplices of Ruhul, who is the publicity affairs secretary of Subarnachar AL, at her home early Monday.

Meanwhile, expressing deep concern over the rape, Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said, “This incident put our democratic and fundamental rights, and the freedom of expression under threat.”

“The incident made us disgraceful as a nation. Such an incident is difficult to imagine in any democratic country.”

He also demanded the perpetrators be brought to book, said a press release of Gonoforum.

A team of Left Democratic Alliance yesterday visited Noakhali General Hospital where the 35-year-old victim was being treated.

It demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and their punishment through quick trial.

Protesting the rape, Chhatra League (JSD-Ambia), student body of a faction of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal led by Sharif Nurul Ambia, formed a human chain in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus yesterday.

In another development, a delegation of 15 senior BNP leaders, led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, will visit Noakhali General Hospital today to enquire about the victim, said a release.

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Achim Tröster has advocated for reconciliation between and within the political parties for a peaceful transition to democracy.

"This is an idea that has worked well in the recent past in countries like South Africa or Rwanda, but equally in Europe. I don't see any reason why this should not be the case in Bangladesh and contribute to a much better communal life," he said at an event marking the German Unity Day at the Franco-German Embassy in the capital Monday evening.

The comment comes as the interim government has undertaken various reforms following the fall of Awami League regime on August 5 amid a mass uprising. Political rivalries, lack of democratic practices, and accountability created a wide array of problems over the years.

The envoy said large parts of the society in Bangladesh were willing to assume enormous personal sacrifices, up to the ultimate, for freedom, participatory democracy, and more prosperity for all, not a few.

For their aspirations and dreams to come true, many citizens of Bangladesh feel that it needs a different approach in some areas, and he is convinced by the idea that a peaceful future of this country requires reconciliation.

Tröster said Germany and France, who were enemies for centuries, decided that reconciliation is the way forward towards a peaceful existence of their peoples and a necessary precondition for their aspirations for a free, peaceful, and prosperous Europe.

"What it needs is to change one's mind and to cast away the shadows of a bloody and revengeful past. In order to achieve reconciliation, we need to hear the word sorry and an apology for the crimes and mistakes that have been committed. I may be wrong, but so far, I unfortunately have not heard it here."

Furthermore, reconciliation is not possible without investigating and acknowledging the truth, Tröster said, appreciated the initiative of proper investigation into the events of July and August 2024, with the support of the UN Human Rights Office where Germany has contributed 50,000 Euros.

Germany appreciates the interim government efforts to swiftly restore security and stability and the reform initiatives that have been started for example in the banking sector. It will allow the German businesspeople to intensify and broaden their business with Bangladesh.

The German government assumes that with the establishment of the interim government, the common basis for cooperation -- bilaterally as well as in the framework of its cooperation with the European Union -- has broadened.

"We now share more democratic values and convictions than has been the case before, and we are hopeful of jointly making the best of it, to grasp this chance that has suddenly come about, for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh, for freedom, participatory democracy, and more prosperity for all and not only a few."

At the event, Commerce Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed sought support from all foreign countries for the interim government's institutional reform initiatives and also with finance on its journey towards new Bangladesh. 

Not long ago, we talked about the astronomical rise in the wealth of candidates in the national election held in January, with superrich politicians all but taking over the hallowed ground of parliament. The election also saw a record rise in the number of businesspersons joining parliament, raising serious concerns of conflict of interest. Well, the rot has now reached the roots, as a similar trend of wealth accumulation has been witnessed in local politics/elections as well.

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Politics must not be a means to wealth accumulation

According to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), there have been "astonishing" increases in the incomes and movable assets of incumbents in upazila parishads, including chairmen, vice-chairmen, and "vice-chairmen" in reserved posts for women. The TIB unveiled the findings of its analysis of candidates' affidavits ahead of their participation in the first phase of upazila polls, which takes place today.

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Politics-business mix coming home to roost

Some of the findings are really shocking. For example, the TIB found that, since 2014, the incomes of incumbent candidates rose by up to 18,233 percent while their movable assets soared by up to 4,251 percent. The pace of change in their financial status beggars belief. In some cases, the rate of increase in candidates' income and wealth is even higher than that of candidates in the national election, the TIB says. Moreover, a whopping 117 candidates have moveable assets worth at least Tk 1 crore. About 56 percent of the candidates are also businesspersons—a trend of growth also witnessed in national elections. Additionally, at least 10 candidates own land beyond legal limits, possessing more than the allowed 100 bighas or 33 acres of land.

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Verifying candidates’ affidavits should be mandatory

What does all this say about the upazila parishad elections, and indeed politics in general in Bangladesh? This cannot be accepted as normal, nor is it in line with the principles that our country associates itself with. When incumbents and aspiring candidates amass wealth at such extraordinary rates, questions of transparency, accountability, and fair competition naturally arise. It also shows that politics, whether at the upazila or national level, has turned into a lucrative avenue for amassing wealth rather than serving people's interests. This has to change. This must change.

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Corrupt candidates will only enable corruption

We urge the political leadership of the country to critically examine this situation and do the needful. The pursuit of political power must be driven by a genuine commitment to serve constituents, not as a shortcut to wealth.