PM’s rivals rounded up before poll

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s opposition party yesterday said nearly 2,000 of its supporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges in a crackdown aimed at derailing its campaign just weeks from a general election.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is seeking to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Dec 30, said at least 1,972 party officials and grassroots campaigners had been detained since the election was announced a month ago.

The arrests are yet another blow for a beleaguered opposition whose leader Khaleda Zia has been jailed for corruption and barred from running against arch-rival Ms Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term.

The opposition boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was rigged against Zia in favour of Ms Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.

BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed said the majority of party cadres rounded up since late November in the police sweep were still behind bars.

“They have filed hundreds of ghost, or fictitious cases, against our party workers and leaders,” he said.

Another official said 11 opposition candidates had also been detained before official campaigning begins today.

“Six of them are still in the jail,” said the official, who declined to be named.

Police have said those arrested had outstanding warrants or were wanted over alleged connections to ongoing cases.

Mr Ahmed denied this, saying the crackdown was a political “blueprint” by the ruling party to intimidate its opponents.

“The government wants to hold a lopsided election. These arrests are just to create fear among the people, so that they don’t go to vote,” he said.

The opposition also accused police officials in Chittagong of campaigning on behalf of the Awami League.