Where's the level playing field?

It is regrettable that the opposition candidates across the country continue to be targeted and their campaigns attacked by their political opponents—something that makes the EC's claim of a level playing field a laughing matter.

On December 14, while returning after paying homage to the martyred intellectuals, Dr Kamal Hossain, the chief of the opposition coalition, came under attack, leaving scores of people including ASM Abdur Rab injured, while the police stood by in silence. This came just days after the attack on the motorcade of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP general secretary.

Far from taking action to protect the candidates, the police have arrested many opposition activists—including several candidates and senior leaders—in old cases, all the while many of the current MPs and ministers are still using police protection in their campaigns.

This newspaper reported that more than 40 BNP leaders and activists were injured in clashes with the police in four districts just the day before yesterday. The police, instead of ensuring that opposition candidates can campaign peacefully, are creating obstacles.

Meanwhile, rather than being proactive, the EC is ruining whatever is left of its credentials by downplaying the severity of these attacks, claiming that the number of such violent incidents isn't high enough to be worried. While the number is obviously high, the EC should measure the severity of the problem by also considering the targets of the attacks. If this continues, our hope of a peaceful parliamentary election will be dashed and the outcome of the election will be bereft of credibility.