Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 16: Bangladesh's election authorities on Wednesday announced that national elections will be held on January 7 amid street protests by the major opposition parties. Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia has been enforcing a staggering nationwide transport blockade for two weeks to press home its demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pave the way for credible elections under a non-partisan administration. Prime Minister Hasina of the Awami League-led ruling coalition has already rejected the opposition demands, and maintained that the elections would be overseen under the current administration as set out in the constitutional provisions. Chief Election Commissioner KaziHabibulAwal announced the voting date in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening, expressing the hope that the voting would be peaceful. He called upon all the political parties to take part in the election to strengthen the democratic spirit by resolving their differences. Bangladesh held its last general election in 2018 with a landslide parliamentary majority for Hasina's Awami League party. The opposition BNP and its allies, which boycotted the 2014 general election, alleged that the election was rigged.
Source: Qatar Tribune