“Brand Hasina” is what the BNP called the alleged harassment of its candidates by ruling party candidates in the lead-up to the country's upcoming municipal elections.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the disappearance of ballot boxes, ballot box stuffing and the unfair advantage given to ruling party candidates by law enforcers were also features of the brand.
“A Brand Hasina election is being held in the country. The benchmark of this brand is to spread fear through the law enforcement agencies and armed [ruling] party cadres to prevent voters from going to polling centres,” Rizvi told journalists at a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters on Thursday.
The BNP, out of politics since it boycotted national elections in January last year, also alleged that ministers and lawmakers were violating the electoral code of conduct.
Rizvi sounded a note of doubt about the Election Commission's neutrality, saying: “Ministers and MPs have campaigned in favour of the ruling party candidates. This is a violation of the electoral code of conduct but we do not see the election commission doing anything about it.
“It seems that the Election Commission is selling the election atmosphere to ruling party men at no cost at all, not even at a discount.”
Rizvi said the arrest of opposition leaders and activists had created an atmosphere of fear ahead of the elections.
He also claimed that many Awami League mayoral candidates had withheld information in the affidavits they submitted to the Election Commission.
