On Wednesday, December 27, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina started an election campaign in the eastern Sylhet region, despite calls from opposition parties for a boycott and non-cooperation.
The South Asian nation will hold general elections on January 7.
“It is the opposition parties’ democratic right to abstain from voting. However, Sheikh Hasina claimed, “They are destroying government property, which is property that belongs to the people, and inciting fear through arson attacks in the name of movement.”
Election Campaign of Sheikh Hasina
After praying at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal in Sylhet, where political parties customarily launch their election campaigns in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina commented on her first day of office.
Election day was scheduled for January 7 by the Election Commission. Meanwhile, the opposition parties, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), declared they would boycott the poll, referring to it as a “staged and dummy” election designed to restore the current Awami League government to power for the fourth time since 2009.
The AL promised in the manifesto to uphold accountable and service-oriented governance, reduce poverty, generate jobs, and demonstrate zero tolerance for terrorism and corruption.
The AL manifesto also prioritized the strengthening of democratic values in all facets of state administration, as well as the development of infrastructure, press freedom, accountability, transparency, and good governance.
The leader of the BNP in exile, Tareq Zia, who moved to London in 2008 under self-imposed exile, essentially declared a movement against cooperation on Wednesday.
Zia, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and acting head of the BNP, advised citizens “to stop depositing money in banks, not to appear in court, not to pay taxes, utility bills, or vote in the national election on January 7.” He also called on government employees to quit their jobs.
At least 21 supporters of the opposition have been slain since political upheaval began in late October, along with a police officer and a journalist.
Amid the unrest, about 25,100 BNP sympathizers have been arrested thus far. According to the party, over 93,200 people had cases filed against them, and over 1,249 others have been sentenced to prison.
