Mohiuddin Alamgir

Even in Bangladesh’s fluid political scene, Shah Mohammad Abu Zafar stands out for his frequent shifts in loyalty.

The political atmosphere heats up ahead of the start of formal electioneering, with major parties alleging that the Election Commission and the administration are selectively enforcing rules against their candidates.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, which aimed at mobilising Islamist votes, is set to have a negative effect on the alliance’s “one-box policy”.

The Election Commission’s first-ever initiative to digitally register Bangladeshi expatriates and allow them to vote through postal ballots has sparked controversy, with the BNP raising concerns over the process.

The last three national elections were orchestrated at the highest levels of the state, with segments of the administration, police, Election Commission, and intelligence agencies mobilised to implement the plans, the inquiry commission on those polls said.

They grew up hearing that voting was their right, only to watch how easily that right could be snatched away in elections widely criticised as “sham polls”.

Inclusion of NCP in alliance further complicates calculation

Women remain largely absent from the electoral race, with 30 of the 51 political parties contesting the upcoming national election fielding no female aspirants at all, Election Commission data shows.

BNP’s fight in the national election is shaping up on two fronts: against rival parties outside and against rebel contenders within, threatening to split its vote base.

For the first time, the Anti-Corruption Commission will scrutinise the affidavits of general election aspirants to hold them accountable for their declared assets and liabilities.

Dhaka braces for a high-voltage election as top leaders of three major parties -- the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizen Party -- submitted their nominations on Tuesday.

Aspirants from 51 of the country’s 59 registered political parties have filed nomination papers for the national election scheduled for February 12, according to Election Commission data.

It was the night of February 27, 1991. After a full day of voting, the streets were pulsing with excitement. People at home, in shops, at tea stalls were glued to their television and radio sets. They waited for one announcement.

Political parties are locked in fevered, last-minute negotiations to settle their line-ups for the February 12 polls, as today marks the final deadline for submitting nomination papers to the Election Commission.

The Election Commission yesterday rolled out a detailed security plan to ensure a peaceful and orderly environment during the national polls and referendum, including a five-day deployment of the armed forces.

The number of foreign observers preparing to monitor the February 12 polls has already exceeded those of the last three national elections

The tide of war had turned by mid-December in 1971. The promise of freedom was no longer a dream. It had hardened into tangible certainty.

A recent Election Commission circular regarding candidate disqualifications for the next polls has omitted a provision that bars anyone from contesting if a formal charge has been filed against them at the International Crimes Tribunals.

Since 1971, successive governments have repeatedly pledged to compile a complete list of martyred intellectuals.

These announcements are not merely dates; they reflect the political conditions of the time