BNP's candidate for the Dhaka-1 constituency Khondokar Abu Ashfaq was detained on December 11, 2018, while campaigning. The officer in charge of Dohar police, Md Sazzad, said he was detained "on security grounds." He was later freed.[11]
As of December 21, Bangladesh police have detained 16 opposition party candidates who will be running for the election. In addition, Jatiya Oikya Front leaders have claimed that 21,000 activists of the alliance have been detained by police after the announcement of the election.[4]
The list of candidates jailed by police before the election includes:
Nazma Rahman, the wife of 20 Party Alliance candidate from Jhenaidaha-3 Motiar Rahman, was accused in a vandalism case on December 11, after police failed to nab her husband.[14]
In Dhaka-16, BNP candidate Ahsanullah's wife Rina Hasan was obstructed by Awami League activists while campaigning with other women party members. After returning home local police arrested her, rather than taking any action against the Awami League activists.[15]
On December 15, the Supreme Court Bar Association's Secretary General Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also the BNP candidate from Noakhali-1, alleged that he was shot by the local police while campaigning. Police Superintendent Ilias Sharif defended the attack, saying it was an attempt to bring the situation under control.[16]
Following a December 20 attack on the BNP's Jhalakathi-2 candidate, Jeba Amin Khan, police arrested local BNP leaders instead of arresting the attackers.[17]
Also on December 20, police pressed a charge sheet against Saiful Alam Nirob, BNP candidate in Dhaka-12, and 37 others, resulting in court issued arrest warrants in a case filed for assaulting police and preventing them from discharging their duties in December 2017.[18]
Some reports stated that supporters of the opposition parties were arrested just before the Bangladesh elections occurred on December 30. The violence that erupted before election day left at least 17 people dead.[19]
No less than 100 candidates have been allegedly attacked by Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) men throughout the country. Even party leaders who are not taking part in the election were allegedly attacked in the open with police standing as spectators.
Dr. Kamal Hossain, the leader of the Jatiya Oikya Front was attacked on December 14, 2018, while coming out of the Martyred Intellectuals Memorial in Dhaka along with A. S. M. Abdur Rab after paying homage to the martyred intellectuals of the Liberation War of Bangladesh.[20]
Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir's motorcade was attacked at Thakurgaon while campaigning in his area.[21]
Several members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's National Standing Committee including Mirza Abbas, Moudud Ahmed and Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan were attacked during the campaign, on at least two separate occasions.[22] Another National Standing Committee member, former minister and a Hindu minority leader of the party Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was brutally attacked just four days before the election.
War veteran Oli Ahmad, the chief of the Liberal Democratic Party was attacked while campaigning at Chottogram.[23]
Other prominent leaders, including former minister Abdullah Al Noman of Chattogram-10,[24] former minister Professor Abu Sayeed of Pabna-1,[25] former minister Shah Moazzem Hossain of Munsiganj-1[26] and Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary General Mahbub Uddin Khokon of Noakhali-1 were attacked while campaigning. BNP Chairperson's advisor and BNP candidate from Pabna-4, Habibur Rahman Habib, was stabbed by Awami League activists while campaigning.
Former Minister and Jatiya Oikya Front candidate Professor Abu Sayeed was the victim of 17-18 criminal attacks from December 10 to December 27, approximately one attack each day.[27]
Even women leaders were not spared, former minister Mirza Abbas's wife and BNP contender of Dhaka-9 Afroza Abbas, former minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood's wife Rumana Mahmood of Sirajganj-2,[28] former minister Ruhul Quddus Talukdar's wife Sabina Yasmin Chhobi of Natore-2,[29] and Communist Party of Bangladesh candidate Jolly Talukdar were repeatedly attacked.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna, chief of Nagorik Oikya, and candidate from Bogura-2, was attacked in Dhaka while campaigning for his party's candidate at Uttara.
Former UN official and prominent economist Dr. Reza Kibria, the Jatiya Oikyafront candidate for Habiganj-1, came under attack in his constituency.[30]
Among other leaders Fariduzzaman, Jatiya Oikyafront candidate for Narail-2; GM Siraj, BNP candidate for Bogura-5; Sharifuzzaman, BNP candidate for Chuadanga-1; Manjurul Alam Bimol, 20-party candidate for Natore-1; Jeba Amin, BNP candidate for Jhalakathi-2; Azharul Islam Manna, BNP candidate for Narayanganj-3, Aminul Farid, Left Democratic Alliance candidate for Bogura-6; Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, BNP candidate for Chattogram-16; Irfan Ibne Aman, BNP candidate for Dhaka-2,[13] and Zonayed Saki, Left Democratic Alliance candidate for Dhaka-12 were attacked in an incident during the campaign.[31]
Prominent Bangladeshi singer Kanak Chapa, BNP's candidate from Sirajganj-1 was forced to leave her constituency because she feared for her life.[32]
Former minister and independent candidate from Tangail 4, Abdul Latif Siddique was attacked in his area during the campaign. He subsequently withdrew from the election to protect his life.[32]
Jatiya Party leader Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury from Chottogram-16 was injured along with 30 of his supporters when miscreants opened fire on his motorcade during the campaign.[33]
As of December 30, 2018, at least fifteen political activists have died including 10 on election day in the run-up of the 2018 Bangladeshi general election.
- Two youths died in Dhaka at an intra-party clash involving the Bangladesh Awami League on November 9.[34]
- Abu Bakar Abu, vice president of the Jashore district Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and candidate seeking nomination was found dead on November 23, two days after he was abducted from Dhaka.[35]
- On December 8, 2018, unidentified criminals stabbed a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader to death in Dhaka.[36]
- On December 11, two activists of the Bangladesh Awami League died after clashing with Bangladesh Nationalist Party men in Noakhali district and Faridpur district.[37]
- On December 15, Md Rasel, a member of the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal's Chottogram EPZ thana unit died after falling from a rooftop, while allegedly being chased by police.[38]
- On December 30, 2018, at least 17 people were killed in clashes between ruling party supporters and the opposition.[39]