Dhaka, Jan 23 (NationPress) As the campaigning for Bangladesh's national elections on February 12 kicks off, leaders of prominent political factions, including the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have exchanged intense verbal jabs while speaking at mass rallies in various districts, according to local media.

During a rally in the Banshtala region of Bhatara in Dhaka, Nahid Islam, the convener of the NCP, accused a certain political faction of disseminating deceptive information among citizens and fostering a climate of fear.

Nahid claimed that a significant political entity is feeling threatened by the growing public support for the 10-party alliance in the lead-up to the elections, as reported by the daily Dhaka Tribune.

He emphasized that any attempts to seize polling stations would be thwarted, stating, “Should there be plans to capture polling venues or manipulate ballot seals, they should abandon such ideas. Those tactics will not prevail. We will safeguard the voting centers and guarantee the authentic triumph of the populace,” he asserted.

Addressing issues in the Dhaka-11 constituency from which he is contesting, Nahid listed various concerns such as severe traffic congestion, extortion, and land grabbing. “Once we form the government, we will liberate this area from these problems,” he promised.

On the other hand, during his first election rally, Tarique Rahman, Chairman of the BNP, took an implied shot at the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, accusing it of attempting to mislead voters, especially women, by offering “tickets to heaven” in return for votes.

Speaking at a gathering at the Alia Madrasa field in Sylhet city, he also criticized the party for its position against the Bangladesh 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.

“They are already deceiving you. Now consider how they will cheat you after the election,” the leading newspaper The Daily Star quoted Tarique as saying, without directly naming Jamaat.

“Recently, you’ve seen in the media how postal ballots dispatched to various countries, including those in the Middle East, have been stolen... We must remain vigilant against conspiracies,” he cautioned.

Additionally, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accused Jamaat, without naming it, of propagating falsehoods against BNP leaders, including its Chairman Tarique.

“Do you acknowledge this party? Will this party receive votes? Do they have any standing in Bangladesh? They denied Bangladesh's independence. Now they profess to want to rebuild the country,” said the BNP leader.

Political tensions have been escalating in Bangladesh as the February 12 election approaches.

The factions that previously collaborated with interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to remove the democratically elected government of the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, are currently in conflict.