A tranquil atmosphere is indispensable before holding the parliamentary election slated in February, 2026. But the alarm bell rings as violent criminal activities have started taking place even at the beginning of the election campaigns ahead of the national parliamentary elections.
According to a report very recently published in the Bangladesh Post, tensions are mounting across the country ahead of the national election as violent protests erupted following the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) announcement of its nominated candidate list. Supporters of the leaders who were denied nominations took to the streets in several districts, blocking highways and railway tracks, torching vehicles, and clashing with rival factions. The wave of unrest has disrupted public life and raised grave concerns about the deteriorating law and order. Even the law enforcement agencies have cautioned that the situation could deteriorate further if political violence continues to spread in the lead-up to the election.
The recent shooting incident in BNP’s programme in Chattogram evokes a serious concern over the country’s political landscape. According to media reports, a group of armed hooligans recently fired bullets at people during an election campaign, killing a man and leaving several others injured. The hooligans allegedly committed deadly violence over political rivalries and jockeying for dominance. Different political parties are now preparing to participate in the poll fray and such incidents will surely be prejudicial to the holding of a peaceful election. In Chattogram BNP candidate Ershad Ullah was shot at during the election campaign on Wednesday. Violent protests took place following the announcement of BNP’s candidate list also in Madaripur, Natore, Sitakunda,Kushtia, Meherpur, Cumilla, Chandpur, Magura.
Violence in the name of politics was a common phenomenon before election in the country previously. People were used very often as pawns by political parties to fulfil political demands. But after July uprising, it was expected that political leaders would abandon this practice. The recent incidents prove this assumption false. These sorts of incidents indicate that the political leaders are not willing to resolve problems democratically. For the betterment of our country politicians should have the courage and determination to face political problems democratically not by resorting to wanton violence and destruction of public properties. On the other hand, law enforcement agencies should bring every culprit to book irrespective of political identity or affiliation. The public want a free, fair and peaceful election under the government’s roadmap and not a bloody one.
