AL lacks power to disrupt election, says CA’s press secretary

Bangla Press Desk:   Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief advisor, said Saturday that the upcoming February election is expected to be peaceful and may even be the most orderly in recent history. Shafiqul emphasized that the Awami League’s grassroots base has largely disintegrated or merged with rival parties, leaving it without the power to disrupt the electoral process.

He cited the smooth release of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) parliamentary nominations as evidence of growing political stability. While there had been widespread concerns that the announcement could trigger protests from rebel hopefuls or clashes with party supporters, the process went ahead largely without incident, showing strong leadership preparation and broad acceptance within the party. This, Shafiqul said, significantly reduces the likelihood of internal party conflicts during campaigning and voting.

Shafiqul also highlighted the declining influence of the Awami League. Once seen as having an extensive grassroots network capable of affecting elections, the party now relies heavily on hired troublemakers and social media campaigns, with little tangible organizational presence on the ground. He described the party as effectively “a Facebook-dependent protest group” with negligible real-world power, reinforcing the belief that it cannot disrupt the upcoming election.

Finally, Shafiqul pointed to improvements in law enforcement and local administration as a key factor in ensuring a peaceful vote. Recent months have seen greater coordination among police, security forces, and field administrators, with skilled officials such as DCs, SPs, UNOs, and OCs tasked with supervising the election. This visible stabilization of law and order has, he said, boosted confidence that the election will proceed in a safe and orderly manner, meeting the expectations of the nation.

“These developments clearly show that the Awami League does not have the power to disrupt the election,” Shafiqul Alam concluded, expressing confidence in a smooth and peaceful electoral process.

BP/TD