More than 225 of the 265 Jatiyo Party candidates have pulled out of Sunday’s race, terming the election “one-sided and staged”, a top JP leader said.
The JP leader said their candidates are not informing the party about their decision for fear of disciplinary actions.
However, their names and symbols will be on the ballots as per the election rules since they did not withdraw officially within the stipulated deadline.
“After observing the overall election environment, I am now certain that the election will be one-sided and not free and fair,” JP candidate Raqib Hossain from Laxmipur-3 said.
Mostafizur Rahman from Mymensingh-3 said this election is “nothing but stage-managed”.
“This is an election of sharing of seats. That’s why I quit the race,” he told The Daily Star.
On Wednesday, JP Chairman GM Quader downplayed his party candidates’ silent rebellion.
He said 35-40 candidates pulling out of the race is not that big a deal, and that the party will take action against them after the election.
Meanwhile, leaders of Rangpur city Awami League were seen campaigning yesterday for Quader, who only about six months ago was highly critical of the current government but has gone mum since his India visit in August.
On the other hand, most candidates of the newly-formed political parties, including Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Andolon (BNM) and Trinamool BNP, are hardly active in the race.
There area allegations they are running in the election under pressure.
Of these so-called “King’s parties”, Trinamool BNP got its registration with the Election Commission in February last year and fielded 134 candidates.
BSP was registered only in September last year, and announced candidacy in 81 seats while BNM fielded 56 candidates after it secured registration with the EC late last year.
However, save for five to six top leaders of these parties, all other candidates were mostly absent from the election campaign.
Trinamool BNP Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, once an influential BNP leader, said as a new political party, they are facing some organisational problems.
He said at least 10 of their candidates are very much in the race.
BNM Secretary General Md Shahjahan said most of their candidates are active, and that they will win in 40-50 seats.
BSP Chairman Sayeed Saifuddin Ahmed said most of their candidates are general people who do not have the fund to run campaigns.
“We are participating in the election for the sake of democracy,” he said.
Daily Star
