The Election Commission and Awami League seem to have started taking preparations for the coming national election.

The Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, is also making preparations to participate on its own, not part of the AL-led alliance.

The AL and the JP are currently finalising their election manifestos and the lists of lawmaker nominees.

AL chief Sheikh Hasina started campaigning on August 2 in Rangpur by seeking votes. She asked the AL lawmakers to stay in their constituencies, make door-to-door visits to the constituents and quell feuds within the party.

To set an example, she even stayed at her Gopalganj-3 constituency for two days in July and met voters.

Almost all members of the ruling 14-party alliance are also getting ready for polls slated for January next year.

AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told The Daily Star that the AL is completely focused on the 12th national election.

"We are taking all-out preparations for the election. We are meeting people, highlighting our government's achievements, collecting information to find the fittest nominees, organising rallies across the country, taking steps to keep grassroots united by resolving rifts, making door-to-door visits to woo voters, and drafting our manifesto," he said.

Meanwhile, the EC has redrawn 10 constituencies, registered two new political parties, updated the voters' list, and made a primary list of 42,350 polling centres.

Amendments to an electoral law have also been made.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan said, "We are making preparations to hold a free, fair, acceptable and participatory election in line with our roadmap announced in September last year."

Political parties are presumably making their own plans and policies for their preparations, he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman at a programme in Kishoreganj yesterday said the schedule for the polls would be announced in November.

"The participation of all parties in the election does not depend on us. Parties are to decide individually if they want to take part in the polls. But we will create a conducive atmosphere for elections," he said.

The current parliament expires on January 29. According to the constitution, the national election must be held anytime during the final 90 days of the parliament's tenure. The 90-day countdown starts on November 1.

EC'S PREPARATIONS

The EC has approved 66 local observers to monitor the polls and invited more organisations to observe the elections. It is also at the final stage of changing the policy for approving international observers and journalists.

The procurement of election materials like transparent ballot boxes, seals for the ballot boxes, stamp pads, indelible ink markers, official seals, and marking seals will be completed between this month and November, EC officials said.

THE AL CAMPAIGNING

The ruling party's manifesto will highlight the government achievements. It will organise concerts in every district town to publicise the achievements.

Teams are being formed to run social media campaigns highlighting the achievements and "misrule during the BNP-Jamaat alliance".

The promise of a "Smart Bangladesh" by 2041 will also be prominent in its manifesto.

The AL has conducted several surveys to find suitable candidates and another survey is going on. It wants to make sure no disgruntled AL leader runs against the party nominees. The AL plans to field independent candidates so that the election appears participatory even if the BNP shuns it.

AL's top leaders are in talks with like-minded political parties to bring them under its fold and with other parties to get them to take part in the polls and make the election look participatory.

It has also had preliminary talks with allies over the share of seats in parliament.

"After the PM returns from the US, she will start campaigning across the country," said an AL praesidium member.

Hasina will inaugurate a number of mega projects before November to impress the voters.

An AL insider said, "An election-time government with a small number of cabinet members will likely be formed in the first half of November."

THE JP GETTING READY

The JP is asking its probable nominees to get ready for the election, according to sources.

It is looking for the best candidates in areas where there are not many supporters of the party. It believes that without a good number of MPs in parliament, the party will become weak, said a JP leader.

"We want to make the party vibrant through holding local councils," JP Chairman GM Quader told this newspaper.

"We will try our best to field candidates in all 300 constituencies," he added.

President of AL ally Workers Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said, "We are collecting names of probable candidates from the districts." He said they were in discussion with AL over seat-sharing but no final decision has been made.

BNP today alleged that the Election Commission (EC) is not allowing army personnel in discharging their duties to improve the law and order situation.  

“The Election Commission is not allowing the army personnel to work independently,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed said while addressing a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in Dhaka.

Citing several instances of attack on BNP candidates, Rizvi alleged, “All the incidents are taking place under the supervision of the prime minister and the chief election commissioner.” 

Rizvi also blasted Awami League President Sheikh Hasina for her comment that the opposition quarter may unleash subversive activities ahead of the election.

“It is well-known to all that AL is a production house of elevated lies,” the BNP leader said.

Rivzi said members of different law enforcement agencies along with the ruling party men have created a terrifying situation by carrying out attacks on the BNP leaders and activists across the country.

The ruling party cadres with the help of police yesterday carried out attacks on BNP candidates and their activists and drove their poling agents, workers and supporters out of their own areas, he said.

Rizvi, also spokesperson of BNP, claimed that around 10,833 leaders and activists of the party were detained since the announcement of the polls schedule on November 8.

Alongside, the ruling party activists carried out around 2,896 attacks on BNP men that left nine people dead, the BNP leader claimed.

Despite this, the countrymen have united in favour of the “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol by forming resistances at different places ahead of the election, he added.

WHAT DID PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HASINA SAY?

Sheikh Hasina yesterday said that the opposition BNP appeared to have sensed their defeat in the December 30 elections which could lead them to sabotage the polls.

“Remain careful about any subversive activity of BNP and their cohorts,” Sheikh Hasina said, wrapping up the election campaign for her Awami League and the ruling party-led Grand Alliance as she addressed four election rallies outside through video conferencing.

Apart from this, an Awami League delegation on the same day handed over a written complaint to the Election Commission (EC) alleging that the BNP-Jamaat alliance was engaged in conspiracies over the Sunday's election to unleash anarchy and violence across the country today.

Jatiya Oikyafront Convener Dr Kamal Hossain today said they are working to expand their alliance to intensify their ongoing movement to "restore democracy".

"Our goal is to forge a strong unity of people and other likeminded political parties. We're working on it," he said while exchanging greetings with leaders and activists of Gonoforum at his Bailey Road residence.

The Gonoforum chief said they believe such unity "is imperative to get rid of the undemocratic situation".

Dr Kamal said the country's people are being deprived of a democratic system.

"Our goal is to restore democracy and give back people the control of the country as soon as possible. We'll intensify our movement to reach our goal in the interest of the country and its people," he said.

The Oikyafront chief said they are thinking of strengthening their movement by this year consolidating their unity to ensure "genuine" democracy and realise their all the justified demands.

He also said an anarchic situation has been prevailing in the country with the growing incidents of rape and killing of women for lack of democracy. "People are also going through immense sufferings. So, there's no alternative to genuine democracy."

As his attention was drawn to a speculation over a possible split in Oikyafront, Dr Kamal said there is no rift in their alliance. "We're going to sit at a meeting on June 12 to work out our strategy to take to the streets cementing our unity."

About Oikyafront leader Kader Siddique's ultimatum to quit the alliance by June 8, Dr Kamal said they have already talked to him in this regard elaborately, "We hope we'll be able to reach a positive decision on June 12."

Asked what they will do if the government does not accept their demand for holding a national election promptly, he said they are devising their plans to realise their demand.

At one stage of the programme, Gonoforum ex-general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu joined it and exchanged greetings with the party leaders.

Dr Kamal warmly received Montu, and wished him Eid Mubarak.

Replying to a question whether there is a distance between Gonoforum and Montu, party executive president Subrata Chowdhury blamed media for creating such hype.

Then Dr Kamal said, "You (journalists) have created it and now you can remove it."

Montu, who escaped Gonoforum's special council, was later made party's executive committee member while Reza Kibria was appointed party's new general secretary.