Nomination of Shameem Sayedee, son of convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee, for Pirojpur-1 has left local BNP leaders in a tight corner and made their fight against archrival Awami League tough.

Noakhali police have drawn up a polling centre-based list of Awami League men to “take help” from them for carrying out duties on the voting day.

With the December 30 election approaching, people in Satkhira, known as a stronghold of the Jamaat-e-Islami, fear that the party may resort to violence again, the way it did in 2013 centring a verdict on Delawar Hossain Sayedee.

The High Court yesterday summarily rejected BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's three writ petitions challenging the Election Commission decision that upheld the cancellation of her nomination papers by returning officers.

The BNP, if voted to power, will bring sweeping reforms to strengthen democracy, make parliament effective, establish the rule of law and ensure independence of the judiciary, according to its manifesto for the December 30 polls.

Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said his colleague Mahbub Talukdar did not speak the truth about electoral atmosphere ahead of the December 30 national election.

The Awami League will expedite institutionalising democracy and strengthen the National Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the mass media and the judiciary if voted to power for a third straight time.

The Jatiya Oikyafront, if voted to power, will form an all-party truth and reconciliation commission to investigate the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and false cases of the last 10 years.

Standing against the politics of vengeance and revenge, the BNP wants to form a “National Commission” to reach a social agreement among all on this matter and introduce a new political culture.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar yesterday said a level playing field for the December 30 polls was still absent and that the situation might improve after the deployment of armed forces.

The gulf in hitting ability between Bangladesh and West Indies seen in the first T20I in Sylhet yesterday can best be depicted by numbers. In chase of 130, the first six overs of West Indies' innings yielded 7, 23, 15, 13, 15 and 18 runs.

The ruling Awami League's election manifesto will make promises of strengthening democracy, rule of law and ridding the country of corruption under the tagline “Bangladesh on the March of Prosperity”.

Promises of further development work are Awami League contestants' election mantra in Khulna while the BNP candidates are pledging “restoration of democracy”.

On Victory Day, people of Thakur Manda village in Naogaon-4 constituency woke up to the smell of something burning.

Around two weeks before the national polls, the Awami League-led alliance candidates are dominating the electioneering scene in cities, district towns and even villages while the picture is quite the opposite for the contestants of the BNP-led alliance.

The continued attacks on and police harassment of Jatiya Oikyafront leaders and activists are raising fears about what may happen on the polling day, Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday.

Setting foot in Noakhali-5 constituency -- made up of Kabirhat and Companiganj upazilas -- one may think that no one from the BNP is contesting for this seat in the December 30 polls.

The Jatiya Oikyafront candidates in the six constituencies of Khulna are heavily depending on female activists for their campaigns as most of the men are either on the run or under cover fearing police.

The Barishal-1 constituency comprises two upazilas -- Gournadi and Agailjhara.

The nation yesterday celebrated the 48th Victory Day, marking the moment the country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation forces after a nine-month-long bloodstained war for liberation.