Around two weeks before the national polls, the Awami League-led alliance candidates are dominating the electioneering scene in cities, district towns and even villages while the picture is quite the opposite for the contestants of the BNP-led alliance.

Against the backdrop of numerous incidents of electoral violence in the last week, which left two dead and over 200 injured, the election atmosphere has become subdued.

Over a hundred places experienced such violent clashes between supporters of BNP and AL. An uneasy calm prevails in cities and district towns as many have kept themselves away from campaigning, according to reports of our district correspondents. The situation in the capital is no exception as it too saw such violence.

Meanwhile, the opposition party men are campaigning on a limited scale for what they claimed was to avoid arrests and harassment by police and attacks by political opponents.

On the other hand, AL supporters and party men set up election offices and decorated campaign gates in their respective constituencies with songs blaring out of loudspeakers.

The ruling party candidates have hit the campaign trail in the capital by making door-to-door visits, bringing out processions, holding meetings and distributing leaflets. Their posters cover most of the capital's streets.

However, an insignificant number of posters of the BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront candidates were found in a few places. The BNP leaders alleged that they were not electioneering to avoid arrests as law enforcing agencies were continuing arrests and filing cases against the party men.

"BNP activists are being arrested every day. Even today, three of my party men were arrested when they were hanging posters. How could we conduct the campaigning?" said Saiful Alam Nirob, a contender for Dhaka-12.

He alleged that police were raiding houses of BNP leaders and activists, forcing many of their party men to remain on the run.

A few BNP candidates, including Mirza Abbas, Afroza Abbas and Salauddin Ahmed, however, are conducting electioneering in full throttle in the capital.

But voters in the capital said they were yet to see the election fever.

"The election of 2014 was an exception; but during the previous elections, we saw our locality used to be covered with posters of all candidates -- be it of the ruling party or the opposition. But that was missing this year," said 60-year old Hamidul Islam, a resident of West Jatrabari.

The second week of campaigning starts today with the candidates and their respective parties expected to gear up for their electoral campaign in the next few days.

After the first round of campaigning, AL President Sheikh Hasina will hold rallies in Sylhet, Dhaka and Rangpur between December 21 and December 24 to drum up public support for the party candidates.

Hasina will address a rally in the city's Gulshan area on December 21, said Biplob Barua, assistant office secretary of AL.

Then, she will visit two shrines in Sylhet on December 22 and also attend a rally, he added.

On December 23, she will visit Pirganj and Taraganj in Rangpur and hold rallies there. The AL president will address another rally the next day in Kamrangirchar of Dhaka.

Jatiya Oikyafront, an opposition alliance consisting of BNP and several other parties, will start holding public rallies at Cumilla, Feni, Laksham and Noakhali on December 19.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said, "No evil force can foil the upcoming election.

"We will continue working so that we can ensure good governance," he said after paying homage at the Shaheed Muktijuddha Mausoleum in Feni.

Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, general secretary of Sylhet district unit of AL, said that the electioneering was going on full pace and the candidates were campaigning according to the permitted way.

However, BNP candidate from Sylhet-1 Khandakar Abdul Muktadir alleged that the leaders of the party were being harassed and threatened everyday and their posters were being ripped off.

"Police are raiding our leaders' and activists' houses every night, threatening them and misbehaving with their family members since the schedule of the election has been declared," he said at a press briefing yesterday.

Contacted, noted writer and columnist Syed Manzoorul Islam found both positive and negative sides in the first week of electioneering.

"The positive sign is that violence did not erupt in a large scale and that young voters are discussing politics in social media. But the negative sides are attacks on candidates," said Manzoorul, a retired professor of Dhaka University.

Regrettably, the Election Commission is yet to take any strong step against the violent activities, he said.

Harunur Rashid, Krishak League secretary of Dhaka North unit, was attacked allegedly by the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its students' wing Islami Chhatra Shibir at a makeshift election campaign office of Awami League in Dhaka.

Ten Jamaat-Shibir men, coming on a motorcycle, hit Harunur Rashid, 45, with a heavy object when he was sitting at the campaign office of Kamal Ahmed Majumdar, a contender of Dhaka-15 constituency, at Mirpur around 9:00pm, Dadon Fakir, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mirpur Police Station, claimed.

Awami League activists managed to catch the perpetrators and hand them over to police, the OC said.

Among the detainees, one is Jammat men while two others are Shibir activists, he added.

Police has recovered a crude bomb from them, the police official said.

Harunur Rashid has been admitted to Shaheed Suhrawardi Medical College and Hospital.

A case was filed in this regard at the concerned police station. Dhaka(North) General Secretary of Tati League, SM Mosharref Hossain filed the case accusing 191 BNP leaders and activists.

Three BNP leaders were allegedly picked up by law enforcers from Jashore-Magura highway when they were going to campaign for the BNP candidate of Jashore-3 constituency this morning.

The three leaders are Golam Reza Dulu, BNP vice-president of district unit; Nurunnabi, BNP president of Sadar upazila unit; and Kamal Hossain Babu, Jubo Dal president of Fatehpur upazila.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The BNP candidate for Jashore-3 constituency, Anindya Islam Amit, and the three other BNP leaders were on their way for campaigning.

Their vehicle was intercepted with a truck after it passed Panchbaria area on the highway, Amit told The Daily Star.

Law enforcers got off the truck around 10:45am and detained the three leaders, Amit said.

He claimed that members of both Rapid Action Battalion and Police were among the team members.

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”.

Okiyafront candidate for Chattogram-5, Sayed Mohammad Ibrahim was attacked during electioneering near Chittagong University today.

His motorcade came under attack in front of Gate No. 1 of the university as his motorcade was passing through, our local correspondent reports.

The motorcade of Oikyafront candidate of Chattogram-5 constituency came under attack on December 23, 2018. Photo: Rajib Raihan

At a post-attack press conference held at Chattogram Press Club, Ibrahim blamed his rival Awami League candidate Barrister Anis for the attack.

“They wanted to kill me so that Anis can win in the election,” he accused. “We are preparing to submit a written complaint to the returning officer.”

Oikyafront candidate for Chattogram-5 constituency came under attack on December 23, 2018. Photo: Rajib Raihan

He claimed, four Oikyafront activists were injured in the attack.