Fear mongering in the election campaign
If you don’t vote for BNP, you would not only lose your country, you will lose your religion. That’s what seems to be the message of BNP’s election campaign led by Khaleda Zia. Along with that there are various reports of leaflet distribution highlighing how burkha sale would be banned under AL. This campaign message is a straight copy from the 91 and 96 campaigns. You’d think this is long past its due date? Is Khaleda winning more votes through this negative campaign. Regardless, we’d hope:
There would be a line drawn in the campaign on what’s acceptable and what’s not. Questioning your opponents patriotism and cultivating on people’s religious sentiments should be two items that should be off limit for both parties. Stoking people religious fear is not only irresponsible but blatantly dangerous in this climate.
Is this strategy working ? Time will tell in the absence of any opinion poll. But regardless of which party you support, every one should come together in asking for these boundaries as Shameran Abed in New Age has stressed today.
The BNP-led alliance, on the other hand, has decided to make these elections about the survival and well-being of Islam in this country. There are reports that candidates of this alliance up and down the country are telling people to vote for them if they want to be able to practise Islam in peace. On Monday, the BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, herself played the ‘religion card’, telling supporters at a rally in Sylhet to vote for the BNP in order to save Islam. A grand statement, but there can be no denying that she is taking the lowest of low roads. The BNP seems to have decided to partake in blatant, Rovian fear-mongering, telling voters that their very way of life would come under threat if they voted the other side into power. In their apparent eagerness to follow the Republican Party stylebook, BNP politicians are also questioning the patriotism of their political rivals. On Monday, Khaleda Zia also said her rivals want to sell the country off. Even if that were true, one wonders who would want to buy our country at its present state.
Tags: Election Commentary
[...] the political parties by the voters: reform or perish. They have abandoned the parties that ran a fearmongering campaign, used religion in politics and showed no intention to reform themselves. On the other hand, they [...]