The BNP boycotted the upazila elections for five reasons, chief among which is its belief that the ruling party will control the polls, said party insiders.

Initially, the party thought that it would go soft on its leaders running as independents but decided against it because of the reasons.

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BNP opts out of 'farcical' upazila polls

The upazila election would be held in the national election model and that was why the ruling party did not nominate anyone for chairman posts, the insiders said, adding that just like the national polls some "ruling party independents" will run to make the polls appear competitive.

"None will be elected without the government's signal. If we join the polls, it will give nothing but legitimacy to the election," said a senior BNP leader.

Secondly, the BNP believes joining the upazila polls would be a betrayal to the people who boycotted the national polls responding to the party's call just a few months ago.

"The BNP cannot ask the people now to go to the polling centre.... It may hurt the sentiments of the people," a senior leader said.

Thirdly, if the BNP stays away from the polls, turnout would be poor -- sending a message across the nation and abroad that without the party's participation, polls will be lopsided and unacceptable.

Fourthly, the BNP does not want to be in the middle of infighting or violence between Awami League grassroots leaders.

And lastly, the BNP's like-minded parties boycotted the national polls with it and the party does not want to offend its allies.

"All the like-minded political parties are against joining the election. So, we must respect their views too," said a standing committee member, adding that this was why Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami tried to ensure none of its leaders ran.

Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, a standing committee member of the party, said the party earlier decided not to join any election held under this regime.

"Tens of thousands of BNP leaders and activists are facing cases and more than 27,000 party men were sent to jail over the January 7 parliamentary polls. Amid such a situation, we don't want to run into further trouble by joining the polls," he said.

However, some party leaders are hellbent on running as independents despite the BNP's warnings of punitive actions.

BNP leaders believe that those who hold posts in the party would surely withdraw from the polls race.

According to the party's central office, 49 leaders submitted nomination forms and around 35 leaders are still in the race.

"Some have withdrawn and some others have promised to withdraw," Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party, said.

The BNP has already sent a message to the candidates that those who will not follow the party instructions will have to face the music.

Sources said most of the BNP leaders running don't hold any party posts.

Shantanu Majumder, a professor of political science at the University of Dhaka, talks about his thoughts on Bangladesh's recent national election and its implications on society and opposition parties, in an interview with Afia Jahin of The Daily Star.

What are your thoughts regarding the January 7 election?

Whatever was predicted as the outcome of the national election turned out to be true. The implications of the election will span not only the country, but the South Asian region and even on an international scale. Compared to the previous two elections, the 12th parliamentary election received the most international attention.

From those in power, one thing we should hope for is that there is no post-election backlash. That is, the parties that chose not to participate in the election should not face intimidation or attacks. Moreover, these differences and the hostility between political parties must not affect society at large.

The existence of tensions, resulting from the nature of the election, cannot be denied. One major party was not satisfied with the election and thus boycotted it. So it would be absurd to think that, now that the election is over, they will accept defeat and react graciously. This prevailing reality must be acknowledged.

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‘Human rights obligations are not an imposition from the outside’

What are your expectations from the new government?

I am not saying that actions shouldn't be taken against anti-democratic elements and anti-democratic actions in the name of preserving the rights of the opposition. And I also do not adhere to the cliché notion that someone who belongs to the opposition camp is by default an angel and the people with the ruling party are en masse wrongdoers. But, be it the opposing party or whoever, so long as they are not spreading disinformation or engaging in violence, they should not be harassed or subjected to false cases or violence.

Unfortunately, there is a section of unrestrained, uncontrolled government party activists who chant "Joy Bangla" and "Joy Bangabandhu" before initiating an offensive. I doubt whether these miscreants uphold the ideals of Bangabandhu. This section has existed for a long time. One can hope for a new start this time around, wherein this section can be reeled in internally.

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Can the new cabinet part with old ways? 

What is your opinion regarding the demands of BNP (the main political opposition) and the future course of opposition parties in Bangladesh?

I know of two key demands of the opposition before the election—the stepping down of the prime minister and the reintroduction of the unelected election-time caretaker government system. There's no point in discussing the first. I find it as a demand made only for the sake of it.

Regarding the second demand, I would advise against it. In my understanding, the caretaker system is anti-democratic. Democracy in no way permits unelected people to be in power. Moreover, "there cannot be a fair election under a party government" is a dangerous statement to make. Sure, we can say that a fair election is not possible under the rule of a specific party. But by saying that a fair election cannot take place under a political party, we are taking a wrong stance.

Besides, was there sufficient data available when a section of the urban civil society began making this argument during the movement for the installation of the caretaker system under the leadership of the then-opposition and current ruling party? We had only one election in 1973 under a party government. There was no party government between 1975 and 1990 in Bangladesh due to back-to-back military governments during that period. Finally, I hold Bangladeshi politicians in high regard. I do not think that they are the worst of the lot. We, unfortunately, have developed a culture of undermining our politicians. If we can get out of this, I believe we may see some positive results.

We need a strong opposition, and we need a few liberal democratic parties that will uphold the basic principles of the constitution and democratic values. Maintaining pressure on the ruling government is a priority, regardless of which party is in conflict with another.

At present, Bangladesh is gaining importance in terms of economy, geopolitics, and more. We are not a bubble anymore. If we aim to advance democracy in the country, the irregularities in elections and the undemocratic practices of the ruling party and even those of other political parties should surely be prominent parts of the discourse. The conversation should not end with the mention of a caretaker government. And the alleged flaws of both the party in power and the opposition must be addressed.

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From one party to one person: What was de facto is now de jure

Finally, what are your hopes for the new year?

In the realm of Bangladeshi politics and state affairs, I usually do not imagine the unimaginable. We tend to forget that Bangladesh is a post-colonial state. That it is a South Asian country. A country in the Indian subcontinent. We also forget that Bangladesh was also under military rule for many years.

I don't hope for too much in the new year; only that the political parties which truly uphold the values of the Liberation War should be strengthened. I hope that the government will effectively realise that its job isn't limited to maintaining discipline, but also extends to guaranteeing decent, liveable lives for citizens. From that point of view, I truly wish that the new government will be mercilessly heavy-handed against the people involved in price hikes, the so-called business syndicate, and the flight of capital. It would also be great to see the government attempt to reduce inequalities. And, importantly, the right to fear-free democratic opposition must be ensured.

Views expressed in this article are the interviewee's own.

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BNP will not go for any hartal and blockade-like programmes over the next few days even though the party outright rejected the poll results.

The party, which is the main opposition for the Awami League, wants to continue with its peaceful programmes including mass contact and leaflet distribution to garner public support for its demand for election under a neutral government.

The party will decide on its next course of action after seeing the reactions of the Western nations that have long been calling for a free, fair and participatory election, The Daily Star has learnt from top party leaders with knowledge of BNP's next course of action.

For now, the party has announced mass contact programmes for today and tomorrow. It may demonstrate at district and divisional levels and also organise black flag processions.

The party also wants to focus on the release of its leaders and activists who were put behind bars before the January 7 election, as per the discussions of a virtual meeting of the party's standing committee members on Sunday.

People did not go to the polling centres responding to the BNP's calls to boycott the election, the leaders said quoting the standing committee members.

"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established."

— BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan

The voter turnout was not more than 10 percent as there was no queue at the voting centres.

"The turnout of 40 percent is simply unbelievable. In the last one hour, 13 percent of the votes were cast when 27 percent of the votes were cast in the first seven hours. This is absurd."

Besides, there are several media reports and video footage where irregularities were captured.

"So this election will not be acceptable to the international community," said a standing committee member of the party.

The US and the Western nations will be critical of the election and may come up with some harsh measures that will mount pressure on the government.

The party has already collected documents on vote rigging and violence relating to elections.

Those documents will shortly be sent to the diplomatic missions stationed in Dhaka. The BNP higher-ups may brief the diplomats too.

A staggering 30,000 partymen are now in jail and their release should be in focus right now, said another standing committee member of the party.  

Because of that, the party will not go for any tough programmes, he added.

"Our movement will continue until a democratic government is established in the country," said Abdul Moyeen Khan, a standing committee member of BNP, at a press conference held at the party chairperson's Gulshan office.

The office was locked up since the party's October 28 rally was disrupted by law enforcement agencies.

BNP candidates of Dhaka-4 and Dhaka-19 constituencies are fearing further attacks on their campaigns and activists.

They both complained of inaction from the authorities despite repeated complaints, they claimed at separate press conferences today.

Dhaka-4 candidate Alhaj Salauddin Ahmed held a press conference in his Shyampur residence, alleging of police threats to his supporters.

Expressing fear for his life and family, he alleged law enforcers are continuing drives to arrest and harass the opposition leaders and activists.

“Several times I have lodged complaints to the Election Commission in this regard but did not get any response,” he said.

Dhaka-19 candidate Dr Dewan Mohammad Salauddin Babu alleged police, with help of ruling Awami League activists, are carrying out mass arrests of BNP activists.

He claimed arrests of at least 19 top BNP activists in the locality and attack and vandalism of BNP’s campaign offices in the area.

Fearing further vandalism, he said he has halted the election campaign for a few days. He too alleged of authorities’ inaction despite repeated complaints.

Let's imagine a scene. "Fire, fire, fire! Please, help!" Screams are coming from a blazing train. Bystanders are hollering to stop the vehicle, while its passengers are burning alive. The black smoke casts out an ominous shadow. The passengers are struggling to open their eyes or breathe, while friends and family can't identify their loved ones. There's a burning desire to be rescued. 

Now, another scene. A man, along with his spouse and child, had boarded the train. They were supposed to get off at the next station. Despite trying his best to save them, his beloved family fell victim to the blaze. Losing all that matters, he refuses to come out of the window, despite bystanders offering their hand to rescue him. 

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Who are these nameless, faceless arsonists?

This the real tale of two arson attacks on trains, which took place two weeks apart. On December 19, the attack on Mohanganj Express claimed four lives, including that of a child. The perpetrators remain unidentified and unpunished even after so many days. Meanwhile on Friday, the Benapole Express fire has claimed the same number of lives so far, including that of two children and a woman. Eight people with burn injuries were admitted to hospital in critical condition. Police suspect this to be sabotage and a well-planned attack. The two major political parties are blaming each other for the incident.

Election-related violence is historically a common occurrence in Bangladesh, and naturally, multiple people have died leading up to this election. Fire incidents have been reported in Mymensingh, Khulna, Barguna, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Tangail, Shariatpur, Chattogram, and Gazipur. According to fire service's data, Dhaka city witnessed the greatest number of arson attacks on vehicles among metropolitan areas till late November, while Gazipur topped the list district-wise. There had been 197 reports of arson attacks on cars and buildings nationwide. Five polling centres in Rajshahi and Feni were reportedly set on fire on Thursday and Friday. Since Friday night, there have been reports of arson attacks at 13 centres across nine districts. While writing, I found the news of setting fire to three vehicles in Chattogram, Sylhet and Chandpur.

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Politics of Fire

It's time to ask questions. Why haven't our law enforcers been able to identify those responsible for these heinous activities? What precautions were taken to ensure passenger safety in the wake of the Mohanganj Express fire? Why must regular people become victims of such violent politics? I wonder if I will ever get the answers. But I do know one thing: this culture of burning people alive must end.

Monira Sharmin is a climate columnist and research student of post-graduate programme in disaster management (PPDM), Brac University. Email: [email protected]

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries and analyses by experts and professionals. To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission.