United News of Bangladesh

Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Wednesday alleged that 13 polling booths were vandalised in his Dhaka-15 constituency. In a Facebook post around 5pm, the Jamaat chief strongly condemned and protested the incident. “Those who still want to stop us through terror and intimidation are forgetting that this nation has moved forward through the July revolution. The politics of muscle power is over. The people cannot be suppressed any longer,” he said. ‘Take lead again tomorrow’, Jamaat Ameer to Gen-Z He alleged that those who failed to sit for discussions on the country’s policies and future plans are now resorting to violence. “The politics of fear and intimidation will not continue. The way the ‘scale’ has taken place in the hearts of the common people will be reflected in Thursday’s elections, InshaAllah,” he added.

NCP convener Nahid Islam warned that loan defaulters should not be allowed into power, saying they would plunder the country rather than repay debts if elected to parliament. Speaking at a public gathering organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for Dhaka-15 constituency, Nahid said, “The people of Bangladesh do not want to witness looting. We will not let looters come to power, and the people will not either.” Addressing the city’s low-income and underprivileged residents, he said a political party promised flats to slum dwellers, but they actually seek a safe life, which is possible even in slum areas. He alleged that past attempts to provide flats ended in eviction after elections, and now the slum dwellers recognize these as empty promises. “They will vote not for flats but for justice and the nation’s interest.” Read more: NCP officially launches election campaign from Dhaka University Criticizing BNP’s promised family card scheme, Nahid questioned its feasibility, asking, “Who will actually receive the 2,000-3,000 Taka cards? Will the genuinely needy get them, or will they have to pay a bribe of 1,000 Taka?” He accused a major political party of nominating loan defaulters, saying the party is simultaneously offering family cards while trying to bring debtors to parliament to carry out looting. Nahid also urged the Election Commission to ensure a fair and transparent election, warning against giving undue advantage to any party. “The commission must act impartially. We are still active on the ground and will not tolerate injustice.” Read more: Feb-12 polls must be fair, with no room for bias: Prof Yunus Calling the upcoming election more than just a contest between rivals, he appealed for a ‘Yes’ vote in the national referendum. “We must vote yes to reject discrimination, extortion, injustice, oppression, and authoritarianism. The fight against fascism and exploitation must continue.” Speaking on behalf of the 10-party alliance led by Jamaat, Nahid urged city residents to vote for the coalition’s candidates, adding, “Cast your vote at Dariapalla and Shapla Kali; ensure the victory of our 10-party alliance candidates.”

BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami candidates in Dhaka-15 constituency have accused each other of breaching the election code of conduct following the allocation of their symbols by the returning officer. Symbols for candidates contesting in Dhaka-13 and Dhaka-15 constituencies were distributed at the Returning Officer office at the Election Training Institute in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Wednesday. BNP candidate Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton was allocated ‘Paddy Sheaf’ symbol while Jamaat’s Amir Shafiqul Rahman received  ‘Scales’ symbol. After receiving his symbol, BNP candidate Milton said, “I have come here following the code of conduct. It is unfortunate that a particular party did not adhere to it. We came with five representatives, but they brought more than ten people.” Read More: BNP, Jamaat will create unrest before polls, Tarikat chairman tells JS He alleged that Jamaat’s female activists are going door to door in Dhaka-15 collecting voters’ ID cards and mobile payment (bKash) numbers, which he described as a breach of election rules.  “This violates the code of conduct. Videos show female activists asking for NID and bKash numbers which are personal information and cannot be handed over to outsiders. When questioned, they hurried away, and later their leaders returned with 20-25 people and harassed those asking questions,” Milton said, claiming similar incidents occurred in Pirerbagh and Shewrapara. He alleged that Jamaat’s workers assaulted two BNP activists. “I personally contacted police and the military to control the situation and urge the Election Commission to ensure that everyone can vote freely and safely.” Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat Ehsanul Mahbub Zubayer said, “We hope all candidates will participate in the election and the winner will be decided through voting. We will move towards a peaceful and safe Bangladesh. Although our party faced attacks by terrorists including yesterday, we hope such incidents do not happen again. We seek a terror-free election. Since the last three elections were not held the EC must ensure a level playing field.” Read More: 19 BNP, Jamaat leaders, activists arrested in Chuadanga Responding to BNP’s allegations regarding women conducting early campaigns, Zubayer rejected the claims. “These are completely false. After the schedule was announced, we removed all campaign materials and did not wait for the EC,” he added. Zubayer further claimed that their female voters faced harassment from a particular party and expressed hope that such incidents would not recur.