Strike and blockade to prevent polls

The Opposition has ratcheted up political tension by calling a 48-hour Bangladesh-wide shutdown to go with the indefinite blockade already in force with general elections just around the bend.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Advisor Osman Faruk said their 'peaceful' shutdown ending at 6am on Monday was to protest the 'confinement' of the party chief and to seek cancellation of the 'one-sided' polls.

"We're calling upon the people to say 'no' to the farcical Jan 5 elections and support the demonstration to establish democracy," Faruk said, announcing the shutdown at a media conference on Friday.

Hours later, Khaleda in a statement claimed she had been 'effectively put under house arrest' and urged the people to stay away from the polls.

The Opposition has boycotted Sunday's polls and been enforcing several spells of deadly blockades and violent shutdowns demanding a non-party government's supervision and announcement of fresh schedules.

As many as 153 single candidates have won uncontested. Balloting will take place in 147 other constituencies on Sunday.

"None will endorse this farce (elections)," Khaleda said.

Several countries and international bodies have decided not to send observers to monitor the polls as the main opposition is staying away.

The US is yet to decide whether it would recognise Bangladesh’s next general elections.

State Department’s Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf had said the political parties in Bangladesh had not taken steps to hold free, fair, and credible elections. She said it was "not a good sign".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had said the 10th Parliament would be dissolved and fresh elections would be called if the Opposition reached an agreement with the Awami League that she heads.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Friday echoed Hasina in saying the new government will be open-ended.

“We have not said the government will stay for five years," he told reporters.

Clarifying his statement, he said fresh polls taking everybody on board could be held since the Opposition was staying off the 10th parliamentary election.

“Come, let’s sit for talks and decide a poll date," Muhith said addressing the Opposition.

“That election can be held anytime after Jan 24; anytime after the new government takes oath,” he said.

Meanwhile, several polling centres in Brahmanbaria, Feni and Chittagong have been torched on Friday.

Arsons in Feni and Chittagong took place on Friday night, hours after the Opposition's shutdown call.

Police have blamed the Opposition activists for the arson incidents. None have been detained in connection with the attacks.

Khaleda's advisor Faruk had said Opposition activists had been instructed to discourage the people from balloting.

Over 100 persons, mostly commoners, have died during the Opposition's agitations since Nov 25.

The government, however, alleges the BNP was not going to polls as its key ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami, could not contest since its registration with the Election Commission had been cancelled.

It says the Opposition's ongoing agitation was aimed at 'shielding the suspected war criminals', a charge the BNP and its allies deny.

Eight out of the 10 war crimes convicts are either current or former members of the Jamaat or its student affiliate during the 1971 Liberation War. The rest two belong to the BNP.

Faruk, a former minister, claimed the people had been ‘spontaneously observing’ the Opposition's indefinite road, rail and waterways blockade that started from Jan 1.

Khaleda in her Friday's statement said: "This frightened government has cordoned off my house with law-enforcing agencies ever since I called for a peaceful 'March for Democracy'."

Law enforcers had allegedly barred Khaleda from leaving her Gulshan residence on Dec 29 to attend the Opposition's March at Naya Paltan where her party is headquartered.

"I'm not being allowed to go outside. The government has in effect put me under house arrest," said the BNP chief.