Bangladesh opposition calls for strike on election weekend as premier Hasina seeks forgiveness

Bangladesh’s main opposition party is calling for general strikes on the weekend of the country’s parliamentary election, urging voters to join calls for boycott

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Bangladesh’s main opposition party called for general strikes on the weekend of the country's parliamentary election, urging voters to join its boycott.

This year, ballot stations are opening amid an increasingly polarized political culture led by two powerful women; current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader and former premier Khaleda Zia.

Campaigning stopped at 8:00 a.m. on Friday. The Election Commission announced polling would be held in 299 constituencies out of 300 across the country on Sunday. As per the law, election in one constituency was postponed after an independent candidate died of natural causes.

The Nationalist Party, headed by Zia, and other opposition parties are boycotting the election, saying there is no guarantee it will be free, fair and inclusive under Hasina’s administration.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior joint secretary general in Zia’s party, urged people not to vote on Sunday while calling for strikes.