Bangla Opp. to challenge Hasina in Parl elections
Hasina.
The Opposition has said the charges against Zia, and other party activists, were deliberately planned by Ms Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian government.
Ms Zia’s exiled son and heir apparent, Tarique Rahman, will not be able to contest the polls after being sentenced to life in prison last month over a 2004 grenade attack at Hasina’s rally. He lives in exile.
The arrest of activists and prominent dissidents including student leaders and a top photographer have also cast a shadow over the buildup to the vote.
BNP senior leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the decision to contest the election was not easy given their circumstances.
“We are going to the polls as part of a democratic struggle,” he told AFP.
The opposition has formed an alliance with other parties, including Islamist outfits.
Its main ally, the JamaateIslami, has been banned from contesting the election.
But its leaders are expected to take part running on BNP tickets in the Muslim- majority country.
The Opposition wants the election delayed by a month to ensure there is adequate time to campaign, but Bangladesh’s election commission has not responded to their request. The deputy head of Hasina’s Awami League, Obaidul Quader, has said the ruling party has no issue deferring the poll if the decision is made.