Bangladesh: On the first day of the BNP’s national blockade, there were four deaths and nearly 500 arrests

The opposition’s statewide 72-hour blockade of trains, roads, and waterways began on Tuesday, and on its first day more than 500 BNP-Jamaat members were detained across Bangladesh, resulting in at least four fatalities.

In 14 different districts throughout the nation, there have been reports of 26 violent altercations in which over 24 public buses have been set on fire and 18 have been vandalized.

After a prominent BNP leader and other party members were detained during violent anti-government rallies in Dhaka on October 28, political unrest broke out. Now, it has lasted for five days, leaving a path of casualties, bloodshed, and mayhem with no end in sight.

Following violent anti-government riots in Dhaka, dozens of party members and a prominent opposition leader from Bangladesh have been taken into custody.

The major opposition BNP was to be severely targeted by the government Awami League, which pledged to arrest around 500 people, including two of the party’s senior leaders.

The next election date is rapidly approaching, and the present state of affairs is uncannily similar to the period before the 2014 polls, which was characterized by violent riots and an opposition boycott.

Currently, the opposition BNP seeks to paralyze the government in order to compel it to quit in favor of a government that would rule until elections, while the governing Awami League is determined to maintain control over the situation.

Political commentators think that given the animosity between the two parties, things may become worse before the election timetable is revealed.

November 4 will see talks between the Election Commission and all 44 registered political parties. The following day, the president will have a meeting with the top election commissioner to talk about the election timetable.

As is customary, the election timetable announcement is anticipated to occur around the middle of November.

Parliamentary elections had to be conducted ninety days prior to the current parliament’s five-year term ending on January 29, as stipulated by the Constitution.

The first day of the 90-day count was November 1.