Battlegrounds finally got abuzz as nationwide election campaigns got underway Thursday for Bangladesh's first election to a new-look parliament, proposed to be bicameral, following an uprising that overgrew the past government.
The 13th parliamentary election is marked by high public expectations for the advent of a credible, participatory and democratic process attuned to the spirit of the 2024 regime-changing uprising. With election symbols allocated by the Election Commission (EC) Tuesday, candidates from political parties and independents fanned out across the country Thursday, launching intensive campaigning through rallies, door-to-door canvassing, public meetings, processions, and social-media outreach ahead of the February 12 polls.
From early morning, urban centres and rural constituencies alike witnessed a renewed political vibrancy, as leaders and activists took to the streets to connect directly with voters.
Candidates were seen walking through neighbourhoods, greeting residents, addressing small roadside gatherings, and holding meetings at community centres and open grounds. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formally launched its campaign with a grand rally at the historic Alia Madrasa ground in Sylhet.
Meanwhile, the National Citizen Party (NCP) officially began its campaign by offering prayers at the Mausoleum of Three Leaders--AK Fazlul Huq, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Khwaja Nazimuddin--near Doel Chattar on the Dhaka University campus. Party leaders also paid tribute at the grave of July uprising martyr Sharif Osman Hadi. The programme was attended by NCP convener Nahid Islam, Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, and other senior leaders of the newly-founded party of the young. Speaking briefly, leaders said the symbolic start reflected their commitment to "democratic values, political reform, and accountability in the post-fascist era". Jamaat-e-Islami also went on campaign trail with a rally at the Mirpur Adarsha High School field in Dhaka in the afternoon. The programme began with Quran recitation, followed by speeches from Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman and leaders of the Jamaat-led 10-party electoral coalition.
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