The 13th national parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on February 12, alongside a nationwide referendum on the same day. Since assuming office in November last year, the Election Commission (EC), led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, has repeatedly assured the public that the election will be free, fair and acceptable, expressing confidence that law and order will remain under control.
That confidence, however, is increasingly being tested amid a series of violent incidents across the country since the announcement of the election schedule.
On December 12, a day after the schedule was announced, Sharif Osman Hadi, a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency and spokesperson of Iqilab Mancha, was shot on Bijoynagar Box Culvert Road in the capital. After receiving treatment in Bangladesh, he was taken to Singapore for advanced medical care but died on the night of Thursday while undergoing treatment.
Hadi’s death sparked protests and violence across the country. Agitated groups attacked and set fire to the homes of Awami League leaders and activists in several areas. Media outlets and cultural institutions were also targeted. The country’s leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as the cultural institution Chhayanaut, came under attack.
Several other incidents of serious violence have been reported in recent days. In Lakshmipur, a child was burned to death after a house was locked from the outside and set on fire. Around the same time, a young man was beaten and burned to death in Mymensingh. On Monday, Motaleb Shikdar, a central organizer of Sramik Shakti, an affiliate of the National Citizen Party (NCP), was shot in public and taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
The incidents have reignited concerns over the country’s law and order situation ahead of the polls.
Despite these developments, the EC has reiterated its confidence. Speaking shortly after the shooting of the NCP leader on Monday, CEC Nasir Uddin said the situation would improve as election day approaches.
“As the voting day comes closer, you will see, Insha’Allah, that the law and order situation will improve. There will be no problem. We are confident,” he said. “The vote will be festive, Insha’Allah. People have confidence in the Election Commission.”
Earlier, on December 15—three days after Osman Hadi was shot—the CEC made similar remarks at an event in Gulshan, Dhaka, saying the commission had already met senior law enforcement officials and issued necessary directives.
“Insha’Allah, our forces are fully prepared,” Nasir Uddin said. “They have assured us that peace and order will be maintained until the election and that they are capable of organizing the election smoothly. You can remain assured—the election will be held at the right time, in the right way, in a free, fair, beautiful and competitive environment.”
A day earlier, on December 14, Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah said following a meeting with law enforcement agencies that the attack on Sharif Osman Hadi had alarmed all concerned.
“It was a covert attack,” Sanaullah said. “We are not ruling out the possibility of such covert attacks. We are also not saying that such a possibility does not exist in the future. Those who attempt to sabotage, resist or damage the election will fail.”
The EC again convened a day-long meeting on Sunday with the chiefs of the three armed forces and senior officials from the police, NSI, DGFI, Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), RAB, Ansar and VDP. The meeting focused on the pre-election law and order situation, joint forces’ activities, compliance with the electoral code of conduct and maintaining the election environment.
Following the meeting, Commissioner Sanaullah said: “Overall, the law and order situation is definitely under control.”
He added that no activities disrupting the election environment would be tolerated and that law enforcement agencies had been given strict instructions to discourage such acts. “If necessary, they will do whatever is required to prevent them,” he said.
Addressing concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation since the schedule announcement, Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud told Dhaka Tribune that the EC’s objective is to ensure an environment in which voters can cast their ballots freely and safely.
“Holding the election on time will build public confidence,” he said, adding that law enforcement agencies would act in accordance with the law and with due responsibility.
Commenting on the recent violence, Masud said such incidents were “by no means desirable” and that agencies would be instructed to exercise vigilance and monitoring to prevent a recurrence.
“No one supports what you call mob actions,” he said. “They deteriorate law and order. In the future, law enforcement agencies will be more active and alert to ensure that sudden attacks or disorder at various institutions do not occur again.”
Despite the EC’s assurances, several potential candidates say they fear for their safety. Two prospective candidates have recently sought security from the commission.
They include independent candidate Kazi Reha Kabir Sigma from Kishoreganj-4 and Asaduzzaman Fuad, general secretary of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party and a potential candidate for Barishal-3 (Babuganj–Muladi).
Kazi Reha Kabir Sigma said police actions were creating fear. “My workers and I are living in insecurity,” he said. “That is why I have sought overall cooperation from the EC and the administration.”
Election observers and experts say the EC faces significant challenges ahead of the polls.
Monira Khan, president of election observer organization FEMa, told Dhaka Tribune that the commission needs cooperation from all stakeholders—particularly political parties—to maintain law and order. She also said the EC must be more media-friendly and engage more frequently with both the media and political actors.
“If Bangladesh is not media-friendly regarding this election, people will not feel comfortable,” she said, warning that without maximum cooperation, maintaining law and order would be difficult. She added that the Ministry of Home Affairs needs to be strengthened.
Khan urged political parties to stop blaming one another over past events. “Repeating old issues will not move the country forward,” she said, adding that failure to change course could push the country “into ruin.”
Election expert Dr Md Abdul Alim said the current situation lags far behind elections held under caretaker governments. He said neither the pre-schedule nor post-schedule conditions seen in past elections are present this time.
“This is a totally different environment,” he said, citing new security challenges, including attacks on election offices, newspaper offices and candidates.
“What is needed now is a serious drive—arresting those responsible, recovering illegal weapons and covering the entire country with a security blanket,” Alim said. He added that all 300 constituencies must be placed under intensive election security. “There is no other option before us.”
