The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has stormed to a decisive majority in the country’s 13th national polls, paving the way for it to lead the new government. Yet, this electoral success is under fire from Jamaat-e-Islami, the Islamist outfit claiming rampant fraud and orchestrated violence against its supporters.
Addressing reporters in Dhaka, party leader Shafiqur Rahman detailed a wave of assaults beginning Friday night. He alleged that members of the 11-party alliance under Jamaat’s banner faced raids, beatings, and house burnings in various parts of the nation.
Quoting local daily Prothom Alo, Rahman issued a stern caution: unresolved issues would provoke harsh responses. He philosophized on fair polls fostering acceptance but decried the current scenario of bias and thuggery as unacceptable.
‘We hold reservations about how the winners amassed their seats. Peace rests on their shoulders now. These provocations demand immediate halt, lest we respond decisively,’ he declared.
Post-poll chaos claimed at least one life and injured 36 others between Thursday night and Friday dusk. Inter-party brawls, ambushes by foes, and property destruction fueled the unrest, as per The Daily Star.
Tragedy struck in Munshiganj’s Sadar area, where Mohammad Jasim Nayeb (30), ally to a expelled BNP official running independently, was savagely killed. Gravely wounded in afternoon clashes—his head gashed by a blade—he breathed his last in a Dhaka hospital.
Authorities linked the melee to election disputes turning lethal. As BNP prepares to govern, Jamaat’s accusations threaten to ignite further turmoil, testing the fledgling regime’s mettle in upholding law and healing divides.