Ganatantrik Juktafront kicks off election campaign at Shaheed Minar

The Ganatantrik Juktafront, a coalition of nine leftist parties, formally launched its election campaign for the upcoming February election by paying tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar today (22 January).

The alliance's candidates began their campaign at around 11:30am by placing floral wreaths and taking an oath at the monument.

Speaking on the occasion, Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Basad) General Secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz said elections in the country have never been genuinely free and fair, alleging that every election has been marred by irregularities and fraud.

However, he noted that the four elections held under the then caretaker governments were comparatively neutral, which is why the demand for polls under a neutral administration has persisted for years.

The coalition stated that tomorrow (23 January), it will announce its complete election manifesto at the Dhaka Reporter's Unity (DRU) at 10:30am.

He said the last three elections were the most flawed, severely undermining people's voting rights.

Firoz also claimed that the law and order situation has yet to return to normal and that a level playing field free from the influence of money, muscle power and administrative interference remains absent.

He added that contradictory statements from the Election Commission (EC) regarding postal ballots have created public confusion and suspicion.

Additionally, he alleged that incidents of intimidation and violence are occurring in different parts of the country, particularly targeting minority communities and opposition leaders and activists.

In this situation, he urged the EC and law enforcement agencies to take swift and effective measures to ensure public safety and create a fear-free environment for a credible election.

Leaders from the Communist Party of Bangladesh and other notable parties also echoed the same remarks. Also present at the event were the candidates for the 12 February election and activists.