Candidates from BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront in different constituencies of Pabna, Lalmonirhat and Netrakona are facing serious obstacles in polls campaign ahead of the December 30 parliament elections.

BNP and Jatiya Oikyafront candidates in five constituencies of Pabna have not been able to campaign widely due to pressure from the ruling party men along with internal problems, reports our correspondent.

With 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, BNP candidates are contesting in Pabna-2 (Sujanagar and part of Bera upazila), Pabna-3 (Chatmohar, Bhangura and Faridpur) and Pabna-4 (Ishwardi and Atghoria) constituencies, a Gonoforum candidate is running in Pabna-1 (Santhia and part of Bera) while a Jamaat leader is in the polls race in Pabna-5 (Sadar).

In Pabna-3, BNP candidate Anwarul Islam faces strong 'rebel' candidate Hasanul Islmal Raja, contesting as an independent candidate with 'lion' symbol.

Anwarul came under attack several times in the last couple of weeks. Hundreds of his supporters were sued after the attacks and they are on the run.

BNP central leader Habibur Rahman Habib got the party nomination for Pabna-4 constituency, but most of the upazila BNP leaders and a former BNP lawmaker are against him.

Ishwardi upazila and poura BNP, led by former BNP lawmaker Sirajul Islam Sardar, staged a rally on Saturday declaring Habib unwanted.

BNP nominated candidate Selim Reza Habib for Pabna-2 said he could not run his campaign well as most of his supporters have been sued in different cases.

In Pabna-1, former AL leader Prof Abu Sayeed is the Jatiya Oikyafront candidate from Gonoforum.

Sayeed said ruling party men attacked him 12 times in the last couple of weeks and he is unable to hold campaign rallies smoothly.

Sayeed had been doing anti-Jamaat politics for long, and so, the partner of BNP-led alliance seems reluctant to support him.

A son of executed Jamaat leader Motiur Rahman Nizami is an independent candidate in the seat.

In Pabna-5 constituency, Jamaat leader Moulana Iqbal Hossain is the candidate, but most of the BNP men are not with him.

“Most BNP leaders are upset as none from the party has been nominated for Pabna-5,” said Johurul Islam, office secretary of district unit BNP.

Habibur Rahman Tota, secretary of district unit BNP, said BNP and alliance leaders have tried to persuade all factins to conduct campaign together.

 Our Lalmonirhat Correspondent reports: Three BNP candidates of as many constituencies in the district cannot conduct campaigns smoothly for fear of attacks and arrest.

The candidates are Asadul Habib Dulu from Lalmonirhat-3 (Sadar upazila), Rokon Uddin Babul from Lalmonirhat-2 (Aditmari-Kaliganj) and Hasan Rajib Prodhan from Lalmonirhat-1 (Hatibandha-Patgram) constituencies.

Dulu, also president of the district unit BNP, alleged that Awami League men continued attacking his supporters during campaign since December 11.

"Police have already arrested 33 BNP men. Our supporters and even their family members cannot sleep peacefully in their homes fearing arrest," he said.

Hasan Rajib Prodhan said his election posters were torn off at different places and even his election campaign office was vandalised by AL activists.

“I have submitted written complaint to the returning officer but to no effect,” he said.

Rokon Uddin Babul said, "I cannot conduct campaign in the constituency due to attacks by AL men.  My supporters continued receiving threats not to join my election campaign. There is no peaceful environment for polls."

Abdar Hossain, 48, of Kawamari village in Patgram upazila said he has never seen such an election in his life as AL men are visiting their houses and threatening them not to go to polling centre unless they vote for boat symbol.

“We did not join any election campaign but suspecting us as BNP supporters, AL men threatened us to leave the village. Even police are disturbing us, entering our houses at night,” said Delwar Hossain, 56, of Mahishkhocha village in Aditmari upazila.

Refuting the allegations of attacks on BNP men, AL candidate from Lalmonirhat-1 constituency Motahar Hossain said no BNP men are seen in conducting election campaign in the area.

Our Mymensingh Correspondent adds: The BNP-backed candidate for Netrakona-1 constituency (Kalmakanda and Durgapur upazilas) is yet to get fair chance to run his election campaign freely ahead of the December 30 general elections.

Local BNP men alleged that Awami League (AL) candidate Manu Majumder has been running his campaign vibrantly, but BNP nominated Kayser Kamal had come under several attacks and obstructions.

Arrest and filing of cases against BNP men started since the start of the election campaign, Kayser alleged.

“Attacks, obstructions and tearing off posters by the ruling party men are a common scene here. My supporters came under attack at three spots in Kalmakanda upazila on Saturday. When we reached near Ambari Bazar, some AL men waylaid us and asked us to leave the area,” he said.

"On our way back to Kalmakanda upazila headquarters, Chhatra League and Jubo League men attacked us, vandalised eight motorbikes and torched another," he added.  

Three more candidates -- Mustaque Ahmed Ruhi (independent), Mamunur Rashid (Islami Andolon Bangladesh) and Alkash Uddin Mir (Communist Party of Bangladesh) -- are running campaigns in the constituency.