Bangladesh poll candidate admits using communal violence as a ‘vote-winning strategy’

Bangladesh poll candidate admits using communal violence as a ‘vote-winning strategy’

• Communal violence used as a strategy before Bangladesh's February 12 elections
• Ex-PM Hasina: Interim govt undermines democracy, minority rights
• Awami League banned, raising concerns over legitimacy of upcoming elections

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As Bangladesh approaches its general elections on February 12, concerns over escalating communal violence and political marginalisation have intensified. A poll candidate has admitted that inciting attacks against the Hindu minority has been used as a systematic strategy to consolidate votes for decades. According to intelligence reports, this campaign of violence is premeditated and designed to polarise voters, with perpetrators glorified as “soldiers of Islam.”

In a video obtained by News18, the unnamed candidate acknowledged that for over 50 years, politicians have exploited communal tensions in Hindu-majority areas as a “vote winning strategy.”

Intelligence sources warn that the anti-Hindu intimidation is not random but a rehearsed political playbook, facilitated by radical clerics in collaboration with local political operatives. These clerics have reportedly urged communities not to support non-Muslim candidates, deepening communal divisions and consolidating power.

The situation has drawn sharp criticism from Bangladesh’s ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. Speaking via a pre-recorded message in New Delhi, Hasina accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of dismantling democracy and undermining national sovereignty.

She described the country as having “plunged into an age of terror,” warning of a “treacherous plot” that risks handing over the nation’s territory and resources to foreign interests. Hasina highlighted widespread violence, repression, and persecution of minorities since her ouster on August 5, 2024.

The political crisis is further compounded by the ban on the Awami League, Bangladesh’s largest political party. Former Awami League MP Bahauddin Nasim dismissed the upcoming elections as “illegitimate” and “unconstitutional,” stating that excluding the party effectively sidelines half of the country’s population.

“The Bangladesh Awami League is a party that originated from the hearts of the people,” he said, adding that elections without the party are “meaningless” and “impossible.”

The intensifying communal violence, combined with restrictions on political participation, has raised alarms both domestically and internationally. Reports suggest widespread lawlessness, attacks on minorities, and paralysis of civic institutions, highlighting the challenges Bangladesh faces as it approaches one of its most contentious elections in decades.