Dhaka: Bangladesh's main opposition party - Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - protested against the ruling government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. Tens of thousands of supporters took to the streets of Dhaka.
They were demanding new elections and chanted "Sheikh Hasina is a vote thief." The rally was held at the Golapbagh sports ground but the crowd spilled over to the surrounding streets, reported AFP.
A BNP spokesperson claimed around 200,000 people were at the rally by mid-morning. Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruq Ahmed dismissed the figures and said the venue cannot hold more than 30,000 people. The police have set up checkpoints on routes into Dhaka. SWAT teams, canine squads, and counter-terrorism units are also present. So far, there has been no violence.
BNP official Zahiruddin Swapan said the party's main demand is that Sheikh Hasina resign and parliament is dissolved and let a neutral caretaker government step in to hold a free and fair election. Dhaka's normally busy roads were mostly empty on Saturday. BNP officials alleged that the government is triggering an unofficial strike to prevent people from joining the protest.
The situation became tenser on Tuesday when the security forces stormed BNP headquarters which left one person dead and several wounded. Two top leaders of the party were arrested on Friday for inciting violence. Since November 30, around 2,000 activists and supporters of the party have been detained to prevent the rally.
The opposition has held several protests demanding Hasina resign and call an election under a caretaker government. The PM has outright rejected the demand.
The political climate of Bangladesh has been a concern in the recent past for the UN and other nations. Dhaka has strengthened alliances with the US and China. Beijing has even invested in the Hasina government's multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects.