As we enter 2023, there remains palpable anxiety and nervousness about the national political landscape. It is expected that the 12th parliamentary election will be held at the end of this year or early next year, thereby making everything in politics revolving around the issue of election. In a way, the ruling party Awami League has already kicked off its campaigning, as the prime minister, in her last three public meetings - in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Jashore - sought votes for “the boat” in the next parliamentary elections. Another such meeting is scheduled to be held in Rajshahi in the first week of February.  Steps have been taken to revive the almost dormant 14-party alliance by allocating them two parliamentary seats for upcoming byelections in six constituencies, which fell vacant due to the resignations of BNP  members.  The resignations by those handful of BNP MPs were also a tactic of mounting pressure on the government to agree to the opposition’s demand f...