Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicks off election campaign amid an opposition boycott

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally kicked off her ruling Awami League party’s campaign Wednesday amid an election boycott by the country’s main opposition party.

Addressing a massive rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, Hasina strongly criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for refusing to participate in the Jan. 7 general election. She also blamed the party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies for recent acts of violence.

Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters cheered and raised their hands when Hasina asked if they would cast their ballots for the ruling party’s candidates, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.

The prime minister denounced the party of her archrival Zia after the country’s railway minister alleged that arson and sabotage caused a fire on a passenger train that killed four people Tuesday. Hasina joined the minister Wednesday in accusing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of being behind it.

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“They thought that with some incidents of arson the government will fall. It’s not that easy,” United News of Bangladesh quoted her as saying.

“Where do they get such courage? A black sheep sitting in London gives orders and some people are here to play with fire. … Their hands will be burned in that fire,” Hasina said in an apparent reference to Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, who has been in self-exile in the United Kingdom since 2008.

Rahman was convicted of various criminal violence charges, including a 2004 grenade attack on an opposition rally when his mother was prime minister and Hasina was opposition leader. He is the acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the absence of the ailing Zia, who was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

On Wednesday, the party urged Bangladeshis to join a non-cooperation movement against the government by refusing to pay taxes.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior joint secretary-general of the party, also urged citizens and government workers not to cooperate with Hasina’s administration in running the country and holding the election next month in which is the prime minister is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

Zia’s party has intermittently calling for transportation blockades and general strikes while demanding Hasina’s resignation. The party says more than 20,000 opposition supporters have been arrested since Oct. 28, when a massive anti-government rally turned violent.

Authorities blamed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for an attack on the official residence of the country’s chief justice and the death of a police officer on the day of the rally. Hasina’s critics say her administration has used the police and other agencies to silence them.

Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy with a history of violence, especially before and during elections. Campaigning for next month’s vote began across the country on Monday with about 1,900 candidates, including many independents, running for parliament seats in 300 constituencies.

Zia’s party’s call to boycott the polls came after its demands for a caretaker government to conduct the election were not met. The party accused Hasina of rigging the 2018 vote and said it did not have any faith the coming election would be fair. The boycott means voters have little choice but to reelect Hasina.

The government has denied accusations of targeting the opposition but warned that any “acts of sabotage” or “attempts to create chaos” in the country would not be tolerated.

The United Nations, the United States and the European Union earlier urged all sides to refrain from violence and work together to create conditions for a free, fair and peaceful election. A call for political dialogue got no response from the two major parties.