Bangladesh’s main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has initiated a 48-hour general strike ahead of the country’s upcoming general election. The strike comes as the BNP, led by former premier Khaleda Zia, and other opposition groups are boycotting the election, citing concerns over fairness under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power. The Election Commission has confirmed that voting will commence on Sunday and will be held for eight hours across the country in over 42,000 ballot stations to accommodate the more than 119 million registered voters.
While ballot boxes and other election supplies have been prepared and sent out, the BNP has vowed to disrupt the election by calling for strikes and urging people to join the boycott. On Saturday morning, a small group of BNP supporters rallied in the capital, Dhaka, calling on the public to participate in the strike. Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a BNP joint secretary general, reiterated his party’s demand for Hasina to step down, referring to the election as skewed and accusing the government of playing with fire.
Campaigning leading up to the election has been marred by violence, with at least 15 people reported dead since October. Just a day before the election, an arson attack on a train in Dhaka resulted in the deaths of four people, further escalating tensions and concerns. Although authorities have yet to officially attribute responsibility to any groups or political parties, a police official suggested that those seeking to disrupt the election were likely behind the incident.
Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen condemned the attack, stating that its timing was intended to interfere with the democratic process. Local media have also reported incidents of arson targeting polling stations outside Dhaka, leading to increased security measures being implemented around polling stations as per the Election Commission’s request.
The upcoming election takes place against a backdrop of political polarization, with Prime Minister Hasina and BNP leader Zia representing powerful female figures in Bangladeshi politics. However, Zia is currently under house arrest and facing health issues. Her party has called the charges against her politically motivated, a claim that the government denies.
The heightened tensions can be traced back to October when a large-scale BNP rally in Dhaka turned violent, demanding Hasina’s resignation and the establishment of a caretaker government to oversee the election. The government contended that the constitution did not allow for such demands, further escalating the conflict.
Critics have accused Hasina’s government of suppressing the opposition through repressive security measures. The BNP claims that over 20,000 of its supporters have been arrested, though the government disputes these figures, asserting that they are exaggerated. The country’s attorney general estimates the number to be between 2,000 and 3,000, while the law minister contends that it is approximately 10,000.
In light of the election, Sunday has been declared a public holiday to facilitate voter participation. Bangladesh, despite being a parliamentary democracy, has a history of military coups and assassinations, underscoring the significance and potential impact of the upcoming election.
As tensions remain high and the strike commences, the nation waits to see how this political standoff will unfold and whether it will have a lasting impact on Bangladesh’s democratic process.
