Tensions are skyrocketing in Bangladesh with the February 12 general elections looming. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has publicly condemned Jamaat-e-Islami for what it calls a barrage of fascist propaganda aimed at rigging voter sentiment.
BNP’s Mahdi Amin, serving as election steering spokesperson and chairperson advisor, addressed reporters in Dhaka on Wednesday. He debunked Jamaat’s corruption jabs at BNP as ‘world champion’ offenders as politically driven falsehoods.
Drawing historical parallels, Amin noted Jamaat’s acquiescence to graft during their 2001-2006 alliance with BNP in government. ‘They’re dusting off fascist rhetoric now—it’s all hypocrisy,’ he remarked, per The Dhaka Tribune.
Amin accused Jamaat of faith-based manipulation: tempting supporters with eternal bliss assurances, Quranic pledges, and cash handouts. ‘Such vote-traders can’t credibly decry corruption,’ he argued.
Labeling these efforts code violations that sabotage democracy, BNP pressed the Election Commission to curb efforts distorting the popular mandate through lies and fanaticism.
BNP commits to dismantling Jamaat’s schemes via principled opposition. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, eyeing Thakurgaon-1, delivered a stark message at a Thakurgaon rally on BD High School Ground. The Daily Star quoted him: ‘Beware those accused of aiding Pakistani forces in 1971—they’re campaigning to lead us today. Don’t vote to devastate the country.’
‘Our essence is 1971: born from battling subjugation, we claimed sovereignty. Uphold that spirit,’ Fakhrul exhorted. This pre-election uproar highlights fragile alliances and historical grievances shaping Bangladesh’s political battleground.