By Muhammad Shoaib, Dhaka
42 incidents of arson took place in at least 23 districts of the country in 24 hours till 10 o’clock on last night before the start of voting in the 12th National Assembly elections. Miscreants set fire to 21 polling stations in 14 districts.
At the same time four election camps and two business establishments in four districts, 11 vehicles in seven districts and four structures (schools other than polling stations) in four districts were set on fire. Apart from this, at least 22 vehicles were vandalized in two districts.
National Parliament election today 7th January. Apart from the main opposition party BNP, various partner parties including Democracy Manch and some leftist parties including CPB and Left Alliance are boycotting the election. As part of the movement, the parties have been holding programs like hartal-blockade, protest-march, assembly. In continuation of this, BNP has given a 48-hour hartal program across the country yesterday and today, the day of voting.
BNP leaders and workers clashed with the police in Bogra yesterday during the opposition’s programme. In Noakhali, leaders and workers of the ruling Awami League have clashed with the leaders and workers of the BNP. And several cocktail explosions took place in Gazipur, Rajshahi, Habiganj, Sylhet, Khulna, Jessore, Comilla, Laxmipur, Noakhali and Madaripur.
Apart from this, at two places in Chittagong yesterday, about 80 passenger and cargo vehicles broke down due to triangular iron sheets being left on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Passengers suffered more due to this.
According to the report of mainstrem media three people have died in election conflicts in the country since the start of the election campaign till yesterday. Apart from this, one person died in the election violence in Pirojpur before the campaign started.
In this situation, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi urged the voters to boycott the election in a virtual press conference yesterday evening. At this time, after every sabotage incident, blaming BNP has become the core of Awami League and their ‘party police administration’, he alleged. He said, ‘Awami League is the mastermind of burning cars, burning trains, destroying railway lines, violence, killing people with gunpowder and logs.’