DHAKA, Jan 21: As Bangladesh approaches the February 12 general elections, political tensions have intensified, with clashes between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Party Jamaat-e-Islami leaving several injured, local media reported.
The latest confrontation occurred in Dhaka’s Mirpur area on Tuesday, involving BNP and Jamaat workers during election campaigning.
Witnesses told The Daily Star that the clash began around 4:00 pm near the Mubarak Mosque when Jamaat activists attempted to enter the 10-storey Heaven Tower building.
BNP members blocked them, citing a local regulation prohibiting election campaigning before January 22.
Residents reported that Jamaat activists had previously campaigned in the building and surrounding areas, sometimes ignoring notices forbidding political activity.
Local BNP leaders also alleged that Jamaat supporters requested residents’ mobile numbers and national ID cards while campaigning.
The confrontation escalated into a heated exchange, spreading to the area outside the mosque, where approximately 1,000–1,500 BNP supporters gathered to counter a group of 100–150 Jamaat workers.
The clash left six BNP workers injured, three of whom required hospital treatment.
This incident follows similar clashes earlier in the week. On Monday, a confrontation in Chauddagram upazila of Cumilla district left five injured, after attacks on Sunday night that included vandalism and looting of a BNP supporter’s home and the party’s local office.
In retaliation, several Jamaat offices and adjacent shops in Dhaka were reportedly set ablaze.
These clashes reflect deepening political instability under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. BNP and Jamaat, who previously collaborated with Yunus to remove the Awami League-led government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are now in direct conflict as they compete for influence ahead of the elections.
Rising violence, particularly in Dhaka and other urban centers, underscores concerns about the security of voters and the broader election process.
The intensifying confrontations signal a highly charged and potentially volatile political environment in the weeks leading up to February 12.
With both parties mobilizing large numbers of supporters and tensions flaring over campaign access and voter outreach, local authorities face the challenge of preventing further escalation while maintaining order in the capital and other key districts. (IANS)
