Bangladesh: Ahead of the crucial February election, Bangladesh tightens national security and initiates Operation Devil Hunt 2

Bangladesh:  In the midst of turbulence after the shooting death of a frontline leader of last year’s deadly student-led protest, Bangladesh’s Election Commission on Monday ordered an increased statewide security watch ahead of the country’s February elections.

Following an emergency meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, Election Commissioner retired brigadier general Abul Fazal Mohammad Sanaullah informed media, “There is a possibility of covert attacks, and we are not ignoring this.”

However, he promised that the election will go place on schedule and that any effort to obstruct it will be stopped.
As Sharif Osman Hadi began his electoral campaign in a constituency in the city on Friday, masked assailants shot him in the head. Hadi is also the leader of the extremist right-wing cultural organization Inquilab Mancha. The incident occurred one day after the EC issued the poll timetable, stating that the February 12 election will be held.

Doctors in Dhaka assessed Hadi’s health as “extremely critical,” so Muhammad Yunus’ temporary administration dispatched him to Singapore in an air ambulance on Monday for specialized treatment. However, the CEC said he did not see a decline in law and order at a separate media appearance on Monday, asking, “Where has law and order deteriorated? There is sometimes one or two murders or violent crimes.

In response to a query on the state of law and order, Uddin said, “We believe these are isolated incidents.”
His remarks were made the day after he described the Hadi assault as “feeling like a bolt from the blue to me” at a review conference with law enforcement. “One day, I announced the election timetable, and the next day, something like this happened. According to media accounts, he said, “It is really unfortunate.”

While the anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on Sunday that they had detained key suspect Faisal Karim Masud’s wife, brother-in-law, and female acquaintance, the government has offered a reward of Taka 50 lakh for any information that leads to the suspects’ arrest.

In response to growing concerns about the state of law and order, the government on Saturday announced a statewide security crackdown known as Operation Devil Hunt 2. It also pledged to provide gun permits to election candidates for their personal safety as well as to protect frontline “July warriors.” On Monday, the Home Ministry released guidelines requiring parliamentary candidates and politically influential people to hire armed retainers for personal protection and get temporary gun licenses.

On Monday, the US Embassy in Dhaka issued a fresh warning to American nationals in Bangladesh, advising them to “exercise caution” in the face of violence. After the Awami League administration of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown on August 5 as a result of the revolt, Bangladesh will hold its first general election in February. The interim government also abolished the party, making it ineligible to run. In the altered political scene, the critically sick former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s BNP emerged as the leader, with Jamaat-e-Islami, a former partner, serving as its principal adversary.