As official campaigning for the 12th National Parliament elections began, a cloud of electoral code violations has already begun to overshadow the process.
With nominations finalized and campaign symbols allocated, candidates have hit the ground running, eager to woo voters ahead of the January 7th polls. However, concerns are surfacing over blatant disregard for the electoral code of conduct, particularly regarding the prohibition of boisterous marches and demonstrations.
Candidates are instructed to follow several rules during the election campaign, but no one is following them. Although there is a ban on coloring posters in elections, many people do not comply.
Although the candidates have been instructed to refrain from any activities that cause inconvenience to public movement, due to the showdown of the candidates, traffic jams have been created in various electoral areas including Dhaka.
To hold a meeting, there is a provision to inform the police at least 24 hours in advance, but no candidate is complying with it.
The Mic broadcast should be between 2 pm and 8 pm. One election camp should be held for each union in the electoral area and for each ward in the municipal and city areas.
As part of the campaigning for the 12th National Parliament elections, Awami League's joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim, who is the candidate for the boat seat, has held a public meeting in Shantinagar of the capital.
Apart from this, the independent candidate for the Dhaka-5 seat is the president of the Dhaka Metropolitan South Volunteer League. Kamrul Hasan did mass communication in Jatrabari. Dhaka-17 Constituency candidate Professor Mohammad A Arafat started his election campaign from Kalibari of Cantonment Police Station yesterday.
Independent candidate in Dhaka-14 constituency Sabina Akhter Tuhin has held a mass meeting with leaders and workers in her constituency. Apart from this, Awami League's candidate for the Dhaka-4 constituency, Advocate Sanjida Khanam, along with the leaders and workers, held a mass meeting in the Ali Bahar area of Shyampur.
Apart from this, the election campaign information sent by our reporters and representatives from different parts of the country-
Jhalakathi: Barrister M Shahjahan Omar Bir Uttam, former vice chairman of BNP, and candidate for Jhalakathi-1 (Rajapur-Kantalia) constituency, visited the shrine of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Tungipara.
Magura: Ever since the allocation of symbols, campaign of Awami League party candidate cricketer Shakib Al Hasan’s campaign started in the Magura-1 constituency. On his behalf, campaigning is going on in different streets and lanes of the city with the slogan of building a smart Bangladesh in the upcoming elections. Apart from this, other candidates are also campaigning.
Noakhali: Boat candidates and independent candidates are campaigning extensively in six constituencies in Noakhali. Ekramul Karim Chowdhury MP candidate for Noakhali-4 Constituency conducted extensive campaigning and mass communication with party leaders and workers In various unions in the district town Maijdi and Sadar Subarnachar in the morning.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Minhaj Ahmed Jabed campaigned extensively in different unions of the Noakhali-3 Begumganj constituency with the truck symbol. Independent candidate Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik is campaigning extensively in the Noakhali-2 (Senbagh and Sonaimuri partial) constituency. Meanwhile, Noakhali-1 (Sonaimuri-Chatkhil) constituency boat candidate HM Ibrahim participated in the campaign in various unions with party symbols and leaders.
Thakurgaon: An election road meeting was held to ensure the victory of the boat candidate in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency. Sadar Upazila's Chilarang Union Awami League organized a road meeting in the Velajan Bazar area.
Manikganj: An exchange meeting was held at the residence of BNM candidate Monayem Khan in the Manikganj-1 Constituency in the Jaira area. A large number of leaders and workers from the constituency (Ghior, Daulatpur, and Shivaloy) were present in it along with A Khalek Dewa, general secretary of the district committee of the organization.
Natore: Top Awami League leaders of constituency Baraigram Upazila have started an open voting campaign for the independent candidate's truck symbol after allowing the symbol of Natore-4 (Baraigram-Gurdaspur) constituency.
Jessore: A campaign rally was taken out in the city under the leadership of Member of Parliament for Jessore-3 Constituency Kazi Nabil Ahmed. Awami League leaders and activists from different unions of Sadar Upazila, and different wards of Jessore municipality took part in this campaign with drums, vuvuzelas, and motorcycles.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on December 20 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
