Candidate shot, aplomb shaken as polls enters tense phase

Abu Jakir :

The election calendar is moving forward, but many aspiring lawmakers are doing so with hesitation, anxiety and, in some cases, a quiet question hanging over their plans: Will the vote really be held on time—and will it be safe to contest it?

Those doubts have sharpened since the daylight shooting of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, the convener of Inqilab Mancha and a potential independent candidate in the Dhaka-8 constituency.

The attack, carried out on a busy city street just a day after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary election, sent a chill through the political class, particularly among candidates from smaller parties and independent platforms.

The election is scheduled for February 12, but the shooting has reinforced a lingering belief among some politicians that the process remains fragile and vulnerable to disruption.

For many first-time candidates and lesser-known party nominees, the violence has become a symbol of deeper uncertainty about law and order during the early stages of the campaign.

Across the country, nominated candidates have begun collecting nomination papers from returning officers’ offices, signaling that the formal race has begun. Yet the mood on the ground is far from celebratory.

In several districts, candidates say preparations are proceeding alongside quiet recalculations about personal security and political risk.

In Narayanganj, those anxieties took a concrete form on Saturday when Masuduzzaman Masud, the BNP’s nominated candidate for the Narayanganj-5 (Sadar–Bandar) constituency, announced that he was withdrawing from the race.

Speaking at a news conference at the Narayanganj Press Club, he cited security and family reasons for his decision.

His withdrawal prompted mixed reactions among party leaders, activists and supporters, and raised questions about whether other factors may also have been at play.

The attack on Mr. Hadi has become a reference point in these conversations. Many candidates now see it as an early warning of serious weaknesses in the country’s law and order situation at a critical moment in the election cycle.

Some potential candidates have already applied for firearms licenses, while political leaders across party lines have openly questioned whether it is possible to campaign freely if candidates fear for their lives.

Dr. Badiul Alam Majumdar, a prominent election analyst, said the interim government remains institutionally neutral despite individual political leanings within it, and that it is committed to delivering a credible election.

“The biggest challenge right now,” he said, “is keeping the law and order situation election-friendly.” He warned that restoring a policing system weakened by years of politicization would be essential.

Dr. Majumdar said the attempted killing of Mr. Hadi had deepened fears about whether the election could proceed without intimidation. Although defeated political forces may have fled, he added, their networks remain active.

“They are trying to sabotage the election through threats and conspiracies,” he said, urging unity against what he described as destabilizing forces.

Those concerns reached the highest levels of government over the weekend. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus convened an emergency meeting at the state guest house Jamuna with leaders of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party.

Participants from all three parties questioned whether current security arrangements were sufficient and called for stronger protection for candidates, as well as a nationwide crackdown on illegal weapons.

According to people present at the meeting, Professor Yunus warned that the attack on Mr. Hadi should not be dismissed as an isolated act.

“This attack is highly symbolic,” he said. “The conspirators have expanded their networks. They have deployed trained shooters. A powerful force is at work, trying to derail the entire election process.”

After the meeting, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the party could not rule out the possibility of further attacks.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar pointed to deep political polarization as an opening for hostile actors.

National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam went further, arguing that selective security for a few leaders would not address the broader crisis. “If the unresolved political questions remain,” he said, “none of us is truly safe.”

The Chief Adviser’s press wing later announced that the BNP, Jamaat and NCP would jointly organize a protest rally condemning the attack on Mr. Hadi, while Inqilab Mancha plans to hold an all-party protest meeting in the coming days.

At the same time, the government has moved to expand security options for candidates.

The Home Affairs Ministry has relaxed firearms licensing rules, allowing election candidates and what it terms “politically important” individuals to apply for licenses and armed guards.

The decision, taken without prior consultation with the Election Commission, has sparked debate over whether introducing more legal weapons into an already tense environment could increase the risk of electoral violence.

Election experts warn that signs of confrontation are already emerging on the ground. In such a context, they say, issuing new weapons licenses—rather than prioritizing disarmament—could further complicate the security landscape.

The Election Commission, for its part, has issued a comprehensive circular outlining measures to maintain law and order during the election and a simultaneous referendum.

The armed forces have been deployed in support of the civil administration and granted magisterial powers through February 28, with officials promising a peaceful, fair and “festive” voting environment.

Meanwhile, major parties are pressing ahead with preparations. BNP candidates have begun collecting nomination papers nationwide, and the party has convened a series of meetings in Dhaka with candidates and allies, some attended virtually by its acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, from London.

Nomination submissions are underway, with December 29 set as the final date. Returning officers’ offices have grown increasingly crowded with candidates, proposers and supporters, even as unease lingers beneath the procedural momentum.

As Bangladesh edges closer to February, the shooting of Sharif Osman bin Hadi has become an early and unsettling test—not only of the state’s ability to secure an election, but of whether fear or faith will ultimately define the road to the ballot box.