Nationwide concerns over election environment: Protest march with gunshots against Osman Hadi

The incident of open firing on Sharif Osman Hadi, a potential independent candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency and spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, in Bijoynagar in the capital has caused strong reactions across the country. Political parties, election monitoring organizations and civil society have termed the incident as a deep conspiracy to spoil the election environment.

On Friday (December 13), the day after the announcement of the schedule for the 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum, miscreants on a motorcycle opened fire on Osman Hadi while he was riding a rickshaw in the Box Culvert area of ​​Bijoynagar and fled. He suffered a serious head injury in the gunshots. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital.

Immediately after the incident, various political parties including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP), AB Party, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and Gana Adhikar Parishad strongly condemned the attack and demanded the prompt arrest and exemplary punishment of the culprits.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said in a statement that it was a well-planned terrorist attack aimed at disrupting the electoral environment. BNP has announced protest marches across the country with the same demand.

Jamaat-e-Islami called the attack a conspiracy to disrupt democratic progress and called for immediate strengthening of security. NCP said that Hadi had been receiving death threats from before, but no effective action was taken.

Election Observer Society (EOS) expressed deep concern over the incident and said that the election would lose credibility if the security of candidates was not ensured.

Road blockades, torch processions, protest rallies and prayer mahfils have been held in various districts of the country including the capital Dhaka, Chittagong, Kushtia, Khulna, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Gaibandha, Jhalokati, Patuakhali, Joypurhat, Natore, and other districts in protest of the attack.

Political analysts say that such violence at the beginning of the election is a bad sign for democracy and the voting environment. The situation could become more complicated if the culprits are not arrested quickly and security is not ensured.