The 10th general election will be held on January 5, the Election Commission announced yesterday amid fear of further violence and uncertainty over the BNP-led opposition alliance's participation in the polls.
Unveiling the polls fixture, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad urged all political parties to join the election. In a televised address to the nation, he also assured them of taking all necessary measures, including deployment of the armed forces, to ensure a free and fair election.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance right away rejected the schedule and announced a 48-hour countrywide blockade of roads, rail and waterways beginning 6:00am today. As part of the agitation, the opposition men will halt traffic movement across the country.
"We demand that the polls schedule be held back until the crisis over an election-time government is resolved," BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters at Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office, where he announced the agitation programme.
The fresh spell of agitation will add to the sufferings of the people, who are already gripped by panic following the opposition's threat to cripple the country to foil the election.
More than 29 lakh class-V students who are taking the primary terminal examinations and those appearing for the final examination in schools will pay dearly.
Many guardians called The Daily Star office last night to know if the terminal exams scheduled for tomorrow will be held. The director general of the Directorate of Primary Education said the decision would come today.
However, there was no immediate clarification if the ongoing final exams scheduled for today would be suspended.
Meanwhile, angered by the schedule, opposition grassroots leaders and workers took to the streets and clashed with law enforcers in different districts.
Border force was deployed alongside regular law enforcers in the capital, Bogra and Sylhet to prevent any untoward incidents.
"The government is determined to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. We will show zero tolerance to any move aimed at foiling the election," Shamsul Haq Tuku, state minister for home, told The Daily Star.
A number of BNP policymakers said they saw no hope for a resolution to the crisis as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was hell-bent on remaining in office during the election, which the opposition contests.
"So, we have no alternative but to wage agitation to resist the election," a senior BNP leader told this newspaper, adding that a series of such programmes, including hartal and blockade, would follow.
The ruling Awami League, however, welcomed the schedule and directed its grassroots leaders to bring out processions in support of the announcement.
Party insiders said the government might go tough on the opposition if it created any obstacle to the election.
"We welcome the election schedule. We expect the Election Commission to take all measures for a free and fair election," said Mohammad Nasim, an AL presidium member.
This is the first time in about two decades that the EC would conduct the parliamentary election with a partisan government in office. The three previous elections in 1996, 2001 and 2008 were held under nonparty caretaker governments.
Interestingly, the AL that led the vigorous street agitation against the then BNP-led government in 1994-96 for introducing the caretaker government system is now in power to oversee the polls. The AL-led government abolished the system in June 2011.
The BNP-led opposition has refused to join the election under Hasina administration and threatened to resist any such polls. It wants a nonparty government to oversee the election.
Given the prevailing situation, political analysts are skeptical about holding of the election on January 5 with participation of major political parties.
They cited the election of December 29, 2008, when the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led army-backed caretaker government was in office. The then EC revised the polls fixture four times to ensure the BNP-led four-party alliance's participation, and the then EC and the government advisers made frantic efforts to this end.
No such efforts are visible this time.
Ignoring the opposition's threats to foil the election, Hasina formed an election-time government through reshuffling her cabinet.
On November 19, the EC, led by the CEC, met President Abdul Hamid and requested him to take steps to ensure participation of all political parties in the election.
Hours after the EC left the Bangabhaban, BNP chief Khaleda Zia met the president and requested him to take steps for forging a consensus among the ruling and the opposition parties for holding a free, fair and participatory election under a nonparty government.
In his address to the nation, the CEC again called for a consensus between the rivals camps for the sake of advancing the country's democracy.
HANNAN DETAINED
Law enforcers last night detained Brig (retd) ASM Hannan Shah, a standing committee member of the BNP.
The detention came just an hour after the announcement of the election schedule.
He was picked up from Baridhara around 8:30pm, said Abu Yusuf, assistant commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Media and Public Relations Division.
The reason for the arrest was not disclosed.