Candidates who will contest elections in three municipalities in Gaibandha have already begun campaigning vigorously, with the exception of BNP hopefuls who have chosen mobile phones to reach voters instead of meeting them face to face.
BNP aspirants say they have chosen this indirect method of campaign to avoid arrest in the wake of the detention of Osman Gani, a councillor candidate for Ward 9 in Sundarganj municipality, on Monday night.
Key local BNP leaders alleged that police are arresting potential candidates of the party in the name of capturing criminals involved in subversion and violence.
Gawsul Azam, general secretary of BNP’s Gaibandha district unit, said the Awami League came to power after a lopsided national election and its leaders plan to do the same in the municipal polls to ensure victory for party members.
He said more than a thousand BNP members in Gaibandha have been implicated in subversion cases and ruling party members are threatening potential candidates with arrest.
“Many competent BNP members have opted not to contest the polls as they do not want to end up in police custody or prison. Those who are still participating are keeping in touch with others on mobile phone.”
Shahiduzzaman Shahid, former general secretary of the district sports body and president of BNP’s Gaibandha municipality unit, has already won the party ticket to vie for the mayoral post. Many BNP members have also announced candidacies for councillor posts in most of the wards.
Shahid said BNP members have been indiscriminately implicated in lawsuits.
“My supporters are scared about campaigning for me after Awami League members threatened them with arrest. They are feeling a sense of insecurity.”
Councillor candidate for Ward 1 under Gaibandha municipality Shafiqul Islam Rubel said he was confident that he would win if the ruling party did not manipulate the elections.
But he said the fear of arrest was preventing him from actively running campaigns and he was compelled to persuade voters on the phone to vote for him.
Kazi Faku, president of Sramik Dal’s Gaibandha district unit, said BNP candidates would win if voters were allowed to vote freely without feeling any pressure. “But party members are worried about campaigning.”
BNP’s Gobindaganj municipality unit President Faruq Ahmed, who won the party nomination, said BNP members who had not been accused in any cases are being arrested and named in lawsuits.
“Even I have been implicated in a number of cases. I have collected the nomination papers but am unable to campaign. I am in hiding now and am contacting voters as well as my supporters on the phone,” he said.
Swechchhasebak Dal’s Sundarganj municipality unit President Motiur Rahman said the party’s potential candidates are facing lawsuits, which worries him.
“How can I campaign directly? I might be arrested. Using mobile phone for campaign now remains the only option,” he added.
As of November 30, a total of 189 people, including 28 BNP members, in seven upazilas of the district were arrested in recent operations carried out by the joint forces, police sources said.
Of the 189, 50 are members of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.
