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Page 3 - Bangladesh Election

Bangladesh oppn party holds protest as it boycotts Jan 7 national election

Hundreds of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters protested on Sunday to mark International Human Rights Day, as the country gears up for a general election on January 7 that the opposition says should be held under a non-partisan, caretaker government. The party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is boycotting the election, leaving voters in the South Asian nation of 166 million with little choice but to re-elect Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League for a fourth consecutive term. At Sunday's protest in front of the National Press Club in downtown Dhaka, opposition activists said they do not think a fair and free election can take place under Hasina's watch. The gathering took place weeks after a massive opposition rally on October 28 turned violent. The party's decision to boycott the polls comes amid a monthslong crackdown that has reportedly seen hundreds of opposition politicians jailed and critics silenced, an allegation authorities have ...

Updated On : 10 Dec 2023 | 12:42 PM IST

B'desh oppn calls nationwide strike, demands cancellation of Jan 7 polls

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday called a 48-hour nationwide strike demanding the cancellation of the January 7 general elections, claiming that it was meant to install Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League government for a fourth straight term. The announcement came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said that the much-awaited general elections will be held on January 7. BNP's senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called the two-day general strike starting from 6 AM Sunday. Former premier Khaleda Zia-led party has rejected the announcement of the election schedule and vowed to continue protesting against the government's decision to carry on with the election process. "Everybody in Bangladesh knows the outcome of this election," senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said. Several BNP allies including far right Jamaat-e-Islami extended support for the strike call, prompting law enforcement agencies to intensify

Updated On : 16 Nov 2023 | 10:54 PM IST

Bangladesh set to hold general elections on January 7, says EC chief

Bangladesh will hold the much-awaited general elections on January 7, the country's chief election commissioner announced on Wednesday. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal announced the dates during an address to the nation that was telecast live. The announcement came amid mounting political tensions as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its far-right allies like the Jamaat-e-Islami have waged a street campaign demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to allow a non-party interim government to conduct the general elections. The ruling Awami League has dismissed the demand, saying elections would be held under Premier Hasina, who also rejected proposals for dialogue with the Opposition by the US and other major Western countries, calling BNP a terrorist organisation. Since October 28, the opposition parties have been enforcing transport blockades and clashing with police and rival activists in support of their demand. The political viole

Updated On : 15 Nov 2023 | 9:32 PM IST

Policeman killed, 200 injured in violence in Bangladesh ahead of elections

A Bangladeshi policeman was killed and more than 200 people, including security personnel, were injured on Saturday as violence erupted during rallies called by the ruling and opposition parties here, heightening tensions in the country ahead of the expected elections in January. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, organised a grand rally here demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to allow free and fair elections under a non-party interim government. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Spokesman Faruk Hossain said BNP activists hacked to death a police constable while 41 other policemen were wounded in clashes across the capital. He added that 39 policemen were undergoing treatment at the Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital (CPH). Doctors declared him (policeman) dead as he was brought here, Bacchu Mian, Inspector at the police outpost at state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told reporters, as the ruling Awam

Updated On : 28 Oct 2023 | 11:25 PM IST

Bangladesh PM, US NSA discussed importance of improving bilateral ties: WH

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week during which they discussed the importance of improving the relationship between the two countries, the White House said. The Bangladeshi prime minister was here last week and also met several other senior officials of the Biden Administration. Last month, she had a fruitful pull-aside meeting with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. They (the prime minister and US NSA) talked about the importance of improving our bilateral relationship across a range of issues including climate change, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday. The two meetings gained significance in the wake of the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh. They did talk about the importance of free and fair elections, Kirby said in response to a ...

Updated On : 04 Oct 2023 | 8:37 AM IST