There have been several instances of violence at the beginning of electoral campaigns and if this persists then the situation may become uncontrollable, election specialists feel.
The Election Commission has assessed the overall condition and gave strict instructions to law enforcing agencies to ensure that such episodes do not recur.
In Noakhali and Faridpur, two AL workers were killed and in Thakurgaon, the motorcade of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam came under attack.
There have been other episodes of violence across the country: attack on BNP vice chairman and Bhola-3 candidate, Maj (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, seven wounded in Netrokona when a petrol bomb was thrown at an AL rally, cocktail explosion at the residence of an AL leader in Sylhet, attack on BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud’s rally in Chattogram, vandalizing of cars belonging to BNP’s Noakhali candidate, Mahbub Uddin Khokon and clashes between AL and BNP in Patuakhali and Narayanganj.
Stating the incidents as embarrassing, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda, asked the police chief to submit a report within three days.
We must ascertain if the violence is a result of social and political reason or part of a nefarious plan to re-create the horrifying situation of 2014, he commented.
While Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar ordered level playing field for all candidates, another Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam warned the law enforcers, saying, “You must be professional without being overzealous or apathetic.”
Another commissioner said that law enforcers will have to answer if they arrest someone without valid reason.
Former adviser to the caretaker government, advocate Sultana Kamal, told Bangla Tribune, “With the sort of violence we have seen so far, there is uncertainty if the election will be free and fair.”
If the EC does not deal with this firmly then this may increase during election, she warned.
Former election commissioner, Brig (retd) Dr M Shakhawat Hossain, said, “We do not see any sign of such violence dissipating.”
He also feels that if this continues then women voters, people from minority communities and general people will shun the election.