Unrest claims more lives in violence-hit Bangaldesh
27 Dec 2013 4:54 AM IST
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League want to do away with a tradition of introducing a caretaker government to oversee elections
The opposition, led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) head Khaleda, says it will not participate unless an interim government is installed and Hasina steps down.
With the BNP’s boycott, more than half of the 300 parliament seats will go uncontested, dimming hopes that an inclusive ballot could restore stability in one of the world’s poorest countries.
The crisis has spilled onto the streets, where people are shot, beaten or burned to death daily in clashes between rival groups and police.
More than 200 people have died in political violence this year, half of them since 25 November, when the Election Commission announced a date for the vote. Rolling general strikes staged by the opposition and blockades of roads, rail lines and waterways are also hurting the $22 billion garment industry, which supplies some of the world’s top retailers, employs four million people and accounts for 80 percent of the country’s export earnings.
The opposition, led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) head Khaleda, says it will not participate unless an interim government is installed and Hasina steps down.
With the BNP’s boycott, more than half of the 300 parliament seats will go uncontested, dimming hopes that an inclusive ballot could restore stability in one of the world’s poorest countries.
The crisis has spilled onto the streets, where people are shot, beaten or burned to death daily in clashes between rival groups and police.
More than 200 people have died in political violence this year, half of them since 25 November, when the Election Commission announced a date for the vote. Rolling general strikes staged by the opposition and blockades of roads, rail lines and waterways are also hurting the $22 billion garment industry, which supplies some of the world’s top retailers, employs four million people and accounts for 80 percent of the country’s export earnings.
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