Bangladesh's democratic future undergoes a critical test as the nation goes to the 11th parliament elections today (Sunday).
The Election Commission (EC) has taken the necessary preparations to conduct the polling from 8.0 am to 4.0 pm in the 299 of the 300 constituencies after the end of a 19-day lopsided campaign.
The ruling Awami League-led grand alliance mostly dominated the pre-polls campaign that ended on Friday.
Election in the Gaibandha-3 has been deferred to January 26 due to the death of a candidate.
EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said the Commission has already dispatched the ballot papers and other essential polling materials, including stamp pads, official seals, marking seals, to every district.
The main opposition BNP-led Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) was almost invisible in the pre-poll campaign scene due to, what they allege, "unprecedented intimidation and harassment against their candidates and activists by the law enforcement agencies and the ruling party activists."
But the ruling party and the Election Commission refuted the allegations, saying that a level-playing field was created for all and the election would be a "peaceful" one.
Today's election is seen by political analysts as "very significant" as all major political parties are contesting the polls in contrast to the previous one.
In January 2014, major opposition parties including BNP, boycotted the election protesting the then Awami League-led government's move to scrap the constitutional provision for holding elections under a neutral caretaker government. The parties also alleged that free and fair election was not possible under a partisan government.
This has provided a vital context for observers at home and abroad to watch today's election to see whether the country could have a "neutral election" under a political government.
"People of the country expect a free and fair election but the scenario in the last few days is not encouraging as there are reports of attacks on the opposition activists and candidates," local government expert Dr Tofael Ahmed told the FE. "Nevertheless we hope that people's expectations would not be betrayed by the Election Commission."
Meanwhile, while briefing the press about the latest poll situation, Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda on Saturday said the Commission would not accept harassment of polling agents. "We are asking the law enforcement agencies to extend their support for ensuring the safety of the polling agents."
He asked the voters, candidates and others concerned to obey the code of conduct and not to bow down to any 'lure or dominator.'
The CEC asked the law enforcement agencies to maintain the law and order situation with an iron hand if any attempt is make the situation unstable.
"The commission will take action if anyone plays an inactive role during violence," he added.
Former professor Dr Ataur Rahman of the political science Department of Dhaka University said the Election Commission has a huge responsibility as they have to address the challenges of holding a fair election.
Democracy would be at stake if they fail to discharge its duty, he told the FE.
However, analysts believe that with her biggest rival, BNP chief and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, 73, currently in prison and barred from running for election over corruption charges, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in an "advantageous position."
A victory in today's poll will give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a record third term.
BNP supporters claim the charges against Zia are politically motivated in a bid to oust her from the electoral race.
The prime minister on Saturday said the BNP-Jamaat has a character of saying through the mid-point of the elections that they are boycotting the polls.
"In this case, I will ask our candidates and candidates of other parties to continue polls until its completion," she told reporters after she visited wounded party leader of Dinajpur Dr Mahbubur Rahman at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
Today's polls, pits 71-year-old Hasina against a united opposition headed by Oxford-trained lawyer Dr Kamal Hossain who was a close aide of Hasina's father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also the first foreign minister of the country.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia sent a message to the people of the country from the jail, saying 'Tomorrow will bring us the opportunity to free the nation from dictators, so go to your voting centres in groups and disregard every intimidation." "Each vote you cast will pave the way for freedom of democracy and people."
Her message was read out to reporters by BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed Saturday.
Dr Kamal Hossain also urged the people to cast their votes to oust "the present autocratic government" at a press briefing.
Army chief Gen Aziz Ahmed on Saturday said that all measures had been taken to ensure security for the voters across the country.
Talking to the reporters after his inspection to a temporary military camp in Azimpur area in the city, he urged voters to go to the polling stations without fear.
He said that he had not seen "such a peaceful environment during the election in the past 47 years."
According to the statistics provided by the Election Commission, 1,861 candidates, including independents and members of 39 registered parties, are vying for the election.
Electronic voting machines or EVMs will be used at Dhaka-6, Dhaka-13, Chattogram-9, Rangpur-3, Khulna-2 and Satkhira-2 constituencies. In the remaining 293 seats, regular ballots will be used.
The total number of voters is over 104 million. Of them, over 52.5 million are men and around 51.6 million women.
There are 40,051 polling stations with 205,691 polling booths.
Of the total 1,848 candidates, 1,749 are party-backed candidates and 99 are independents.
As many as 662,119 officials are involved in the election work. Among them, some 40,183 are presiding officers, 207,312 are assistant presiding officers and 414,624 are polling officers.
Around 500,000 members from different law enforcement agencies have been deployed in the election. Of them, around 200,000 are police personnel, more than 200,000 are Ansars, 10,000 are RAB members and 1,200 BGB troopers.
As many as 1,500 executive and judicial magistrates and 122 election investigation committees are working. The number of election observers is around 25,900.
Meanwhile, 16 international election observer groups, in a joint statement, expressed concern over the "restrictive electoral environment" surrounding the 11th General Election in Bangladesh, set to be held on December 30, 2018.
"Ever since the election was announced, the government of Bangladesh has embarked upon a crackdown on civil society, the opposition, and the media, undermining any semblance of a democratic process," said the statement on Saturday.
"This places a severe strain on the waning health of democratic engagement in Bangladesh, and compromises the integrity of the upcoming election," it added.
The statement was issued by among others, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), Sri Lanka.
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