Bangladesh’s main opposition party starts a 48-hour general strike ahead of Sunday’s election

By JULHAS ALAM
Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s main opposition party has started Saturday a 48-hour general strike as the South Asian nation is gearing up to hold its next general election. Voting will start Sunday and last for eight hours across the country in over 42,000 ballot stations to receive the more than 119 million registered voters, the Election Commission says. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former premier Khaleda Zia, and other opposition groups are boycotting the election, saying they can’t guarantee its fairness under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is seeking to return to power for a fourth consecutive term.