Bangladesh election campaign begins without an opposition candidate to challenge Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
- On the eve of the campaign launch, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which hopes to deny Hasina a record fourth term, said nearly 2,000 of its supporters had been arrested
- Critics say Hasina has drifted toward authoritarianism, using strict laws to muzzle dissent and media freedom in the Muslim-majority nation of 160 million
There is no opposition candidate for prime minister, hundreds of people have been arrested and incumbent premier Sheikh Hasina stands accused of ignoring democratic checks on her power, but Bangladesh began campaigning on Monday for a year-end election.
More than 100 million people are registered to vote on December 30 for either Hasina’s Awami League and its allies, or a beleaguered opposition that says it is being hobbled by police.
On the eve of the campaign launch, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which hopes to deny Hasina a record fourth term, said nearly 2,000 of its supporters had been arrested.
Police said those detained since the election was announced in November – including a number of candidates about to hit the hustings – had prior warrants for their arrest. But the opposition said Hasina and her party were following a pre-election “blueprint” designed to stifle her rivals and intimidate their voters.
These arrests are just to create fear among the people, so that they don’t go to vote
“The government wants to hold a lopsided election. These arrests are just to create fear among the people, so that they don’t go to vote,” BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed said.