Dhaka, Jan 27 (NationPress) With the campaign for the February 12 elections in Bangladesh officially starting, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has issued a pointed advisory against Jamaat-e-Islami. They are urging voters to refrain from “destroying the country” by supporting individuals whom they claim aided the Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 Liberation War, according to reports from local media.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed these sentiments while speaking at an election rally held at the BD High School ground in the Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon district. He is running for office in the Thakurgaon-1 constituency during the forthcoming elections.

“Those who supported the Pakistan Army until the very end are now soliciting votes to lead the nation. Don’t jeopardize the country by voting for them,” remarked Fakhrul, as reported by Bangladesh’s prominent newspaper, The Daily Star.

“We aim to preserve the essence of 1971, as our identity is rooted in that history. Bangladesh emerged from Pakistan’s oppression and exploitation. We fought for our freedom and achieved independence,” he added.

In his address to the Hindu community, Fakhrul recognized the prevalent fear among Hindus regarding persecution throughout the nation, assuring them to remain courageous.

As political tensions escalate in advance of the February election, Jamaat and the National Citizen Party (NCP) have accused opposition groups of extensive breaches of the electoral code of conduct, according to The Daily Star.

After a meeting between a Jamaat delegation and Bangladesh's Chief Election Commissioner at the Election Commission headquarters in Dhaka, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahboob Zubair stated, “Our activists have faced deliberate assaults over the past few days. Female Jamaat activists are being harassed, humiliated, and in certain areas, are being asked to remove their veils. Many have had their mobile phones confiscated.”

“In the last four days, we have observed with unease and concern that if these issues are not addressed, the situation could deteriorate further before the election,” he added.

Meanwhile, NCP leaders have also claimed that opposition groups in various constituencies are breaching electoral regulations with minimal administrative oversight. They reported that their Dhaka-18 candidate's campaign was attacked, warning that such occurrences send a “negative signal” that undermines the electoral integrity.

Accusing the BNP’s Dhaka-8 candidate of utilizing government vehicles, NCP leader Ayman Raha stated, “When such incidents occur openly without any repercussions, the public becomes apprehensive… we realize that we are not experiencing a fair electoral environment.”

Bangladesh has been witnessing escalating political disputes leading up to the election on February 12.

The factions that previously collaborated with interim government Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus to topple the democratically elected Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina, are now enmeshed in a fierce struggle for power ahead of the upcoming elections.