Bangladesh goes to the polls tomorrow (January 7) amid tensions as the major opposition and like-minded political parties threw stricter programmes like shutdown on boycott of the 12th parliamentary election.
Ruling Bangladesh Awami League high-ups and its allies called upon the voters to go to the polling centres to exercise their voting right freely and fearlessly from the morning on the day.
On the other side of the political divide, leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and their political partners urged the people of the country to boycott the polls as they did.
The standoff is triggering concerns to many, as the run-up to the much-discussed national elections-coming under global gaze amid disputes over the poll conduct-is punctuated with waves of unrest.
Army and other forces have been deployed to build up security shield around polling centres and across the country.
However, the voting will be take place in 299 constituencies out of 300 as the Election Commission (EC) has already suspended election to one parliamentary seat, Naogaon-2, because of death of a candidate.
According to EC statistics, some 119.6 million voters in the country, including 15.4 million new ones, are expected to exercise their franchise tomorrow across the country from 8.00am to 4.00pm, without break.
Of the total voters - 67.6 million are male, 58.9 million female and 849 are transgender people.
According to the EC stats, the number of voters in the 11th parliamentary polls of 2018 was 104.1 million while the number of voters was in 10th national elections held in 2014 was 91.1 million.
A total of 1970 candidates-which also include 436 independents-- from 28 political parties out of the 44 registered with the EC are vying in 299 constituencies.
The AL-nominated aspirants did not take part in the fray in 26 constituencies as they left those parliamentary seats for their political allies like Jatiya Party.
Sources said the number of total polling stations in the 12th parliamentary election is 42,148. Polls will be held using traditional paper ballots, not with EVM (electronic voting machine).
"Majority of the polling centres will get the ballots on the poll day morning while the remote areas in chars and hilly regions will get them the day before," an official of the EC said.
"This is happening for the first time in the country to help ensure transparency in balloting as many alleged that there had been stuffing of ballot box by miscreants even before the polls formally began," he said.
The national election becomes a major challenge for the EC as well as the ruling Awami League as many think the election will not be participatory and voter turnout could be much lesser with BNP decision not to take part in the polls like in the 2014 one.
But the ruling party high-ups dispelled the doubts, expecting huge voter turnout.
Not only the domestic election observers but also the overseas ones will keep their watch on the overall voting atmosphere. According to the EC, a total of 127 international observers have been authorised to monitors the election of which 60 have already arrived in Bangladesh.
Many local and international communities have been closely observing the election process, while international media published articles on Bangladesh's political regime and its economy.
To ensure peace and order ahead, during and after the voting, the authorities deployed increased numbers law enforcers, including police, RAB, members of the armed forces, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Ansar and VDP members.
Also, a number of political parties, including BNP and alliances, have urged the countrymen to boycott the election and declared programmes for the poll day, including general strike.
The BNP on Thursday announced two-day strike for Saturday and Sunday. Their twelve-party alliance requested the countrymen to boycott the election and observe 'mass curfew' on poll day by staying at home.
With the fear of violence centring the national elections, army members have already been deployed across the country since January 3 last and will be on duty until January 10.
Apart from additional number of police, BGB, RAB and armed-force members, more than 0.5 million ansar and VDP members will be discharging their election duty.
Besides, a number of candidates have already withdrawn themselves alleging that there has been absence of a suitable environment to hold a credible election under a political government.
jubairfe1980@gmail.com and saif.febd@gmail.com