Awami League concerned over post-poll violence

The ruling Awami League has been facing infighting once again centering the recently concluded 12th parliamentary elections. Threat and counter-threat, as well as clashes took place between the supporters of the party-nominated and the independent candidates, who are involved with the politics of Awami League, at various places of the country prior to the polls. Arms-wielding and stray clashes were also reported on the polling day, but conflicts claimed lives after the election, causing concern for Awami League.

Several policymakers of the party said the central leaders, who are tasked with stopping internal clashes, are talking to district and upazila leaders, as well as giving them instructions. Besides, local administrations are taking legal action on each incident.

According to the reports of Prothom Alo’s correspondent from various districts and upazilas, since the voting on 7 January, four people have been killed and several hundreds have sustained injuries in clashes in Noakhali, Madaripur, Netrokona and Jhenaidah so far. Almost all of the attackers, victims, injured and deceased were leaders, activists and supporters of Awami League. They engaged in clashes on behalf of the “Boat” (electoral symbol of AL) and the independent candidates.

In the latest incident, a polling agent of an independent candidate was hacked to death in Noakhali on Saturday night. Before that, a supporter of a boat candidate in Jhenaidah and two supporters of independent candidates in Netrokona and Madaripur were also killed. Such clashes and attacks were also reported from Jhenaidah, Kustia, Shariatpur and Madaripur following the election. Besides, polling offices were vandalised, houses attacked, and even crops were damaged. In addition to torturing the opponents, cash, gold, cattle and furniture were also looted.

Awami League’s Noakhali district unit president AHM Khairul Aman Chowdhury told Prothom Alo clash took place during the polls. However, killing is unfortunate. Law enforcement agencies will bring the perpetrators to book, he observed adding, Noakhali is clam now.

According to sources at Awami League, the newly-elected MPs came to Dhaka to take oath following the election. The cabinet has also sworn-in and celebration of victory is also going on. Lawmakers and cabinet members are busy with various programmes in Dhaka. As a result, a vacuum of leadership arose in the polling area, and activists and supporters took advantage of it and engaged in clashes against each other out of vengeance.

Speaking about the post-polls violence, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Prothon Alo this time the vote was held very fairly, and what happened after the election was the outcome of the excitement among supporters. However, law enforcement agencies remained alert. Party general secretary Obaidul Quader has been taking action, and everything will be normal soon.

Non-government organisation Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) collected data and statistics on post-polls violence. According to HRSS, at least six people were killed and more than 400 were injured in clashes and violence in various districts after the election. Sixty people sustained bullet injuries. More than 200 houses and business establishments were vandalised, torched and looted. Violence was reported from at least 18 districts.

One of the policymakers of Awami League told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that the party was satisfied with the voting atmosphere, but violence taking place after the election was embarrassing them. If this continues, feud will increase, the AL leader observed.

According to the party sources, prior to the election, Awami League gave messages to the grassroots to stay alert on the movement of the oppositions including key opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), but the party did not give that much importance on preventing intra-party conflict. However, the party’s organising secretary and joint general secretaries talked to the leaders of the supervising areas and gave them instructions after a series of violent incidents.

At a joint meeting at the party’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka Monday, prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina instructed the party leaders and activists to stop blaming each other and looking for mistakes among themselves.

She said, “Some of those who contested the election have won while some didn’t. I would request you all to stop blaming others as well as looking for others’ mistakes. Some might feel hurt, some might feel joyous, but we must move forward with that joy, pain, smile and wailing.”

Since BNP did not join the election, Awami League allowed party leaders and activists to contest the polls independently in a bid to make the election festive and competitive.

A total of 265 candidates contested the polls on the party’s electoral symbol boat while 269 leaders, activists and supporters took part in the election as independent candidates.  As most of the winning candidates and their nearest opponents were leaders of Awami League, violence took place between both sides.

In Madaripur-3 (Kalkini, Dasar and parts of Sadar upazila) constituency, Awami League nominated Abdus Sobhan Golap, publicity and publication affairs secretary of the central committee, to contest the election while lawmaker from a reserved seat Tahmina Begum competed the polls independently.

Tahmina Begum won there. Clash was reported in this seat several times before the election. Ten people were injured in an attack on a victory procession, and one of the injured succumbed on Thursday.

Regarding the internal conflict, Awami League’s Madaripur unit president Shahabuddin Ahmed Molla said to Prothom Alo that the situation was calm then. He hoped there would be no more violence in the constituency.

The constitution of Awami League clearly states about the expulsion of party leaders and activists, who oppose the party candidate. But, this time no organisational action was taken against independent candidates.

According to the AL sources, since there was a party decision to allow the independent candidates, many grassroots leaders, former MPs and influential business people, who are supporters of Awami League, became independent candidates in the election. As a result, there was little difference of the power between boat candidates and independent candidates.

The victory of 48 party leaders who ran as independent candidates is evident that none of them spared the other competitors. That is why violence erupted during electioneering, voting and also after the polls.

Regarding the situation, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif told Prothom Alo party president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina strongly ordered them to work together forgetting all the differences in opinions.

He hoped such an unwanted incident would not take place anymore. The party leaders have communicated with grassroots in various ways on this, he added.

* This report appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Hasanul Banna