International

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie on Monday visited the world's largest refugee settlement, home to nearly one million Rohingya Muslims, in a bid to put their plight back in the headlines ahead of a United Nations $920 million funding appeal. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Buddhist-dominated Myanmar 18 months ago in the wake of a army crackdown described as "ethnic cleansing" by UN investigators and they are now living in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh with no sign of moving. A spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Jolie, a special envoy for the organisation, would spend three days visiting the camps to "assess" the needs of the Rohingya and the challenges that Bangladesh faced as a host country. Jolie, 43, will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has garnered global praise for committing not to repatriate any Rohingya unwillingly, and the Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. The UNHCR spokesman said Jolie's talks would centre around "the need for safe and sustainable solutions to the plight of one of the world's most persecuted minorities, the Rohingya". The spokesman said the visit came ahead of the launch of a new appeal seeking to raise $920 million to continue meeting the basic needs of the Rohingya. Last year UN agencies launched a $950.8 million appeal for the Rohingya influx. While this was Jolie's first visit to Bangladesh, she met Rohingya refugees in Myanmar in 2015 and India in 2006. The Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), a government organisation created to deal with the Rohingya crisis, welcomed Jolie's visit. "(Jolie) will definitely have a message to take back from here. We hope that the humanitarian community understands the kind of crisis the Rohingya are in through her," RRRC commissioner Abul Kalam. 

Bangladesh has arrested a suspected extremist who supplied weapons and explosives for a 2016 siege that killed 22 hostages, a top police official said yesterday.  Eighteen foreigners were among those shot and hacked to death in the 10-hour standoff at the Holey Artisan Bakery, an upmarket cafe in Dhaka, before military commandos stormed the building and freed some two dozen other people.  Mamunur Rashid was a key “decision-maker” in Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned homegrown militant outfit blamed for the attack. The 30-year-old was arrested while travelling on a bus outside the capital Dhaka, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, a spokesman for the elite Rapid Action Battalion.  Rashid “supplied money, arms, ammunition and explosives for the attack,” Khan told reporters. “He hid in a neighbouring country and tried to reorganise the group. They were also planning to rescue their accomplices from custody.”  A former computer operator and Islamic seminary student, Rashid also provided logistical support to militants involved in several deadly attacks on religious minorities in the country’s north, Khan said. A court in Dhaka last month put eight militants on trial over the cafe attack.  Khan said Rashid was one of the two men charged in absentia, while the other six were already in custody.  The Holey Artisan Bakery siege fuelled fears over violent groups in the Muslim-majority nation of 165mn people.  The government also launched a nationwide crackdown against extremists immediately after the attack, killing nearly 100 alleged extremists in gunfights including several top JMB leaders.  The attack marked a violent escalation from a spate of high-profile murders in the country since 2013, with extremists targeting Bangladeshi atheist writers, rights activists, gays, foreigners and religious minorities.  Bangladesh last week banned the release of a film based on the cafe attack, saying it would tarnish the country’s image.

A Bangladeshi father dubbed ‘Tree Man’ for the bark-like growths on his body returned to hospital on Sunday after his condition worsened, he told AFP. Abul Bajandar has had 25 surgeries since 2016 to remove the growths from his hands and feet at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Doctors were on the verge of declaring their treatment a success before a sudden relapse prompted Bajandar to flee the clinic in May without notifying staff. But on Sunday he was readmitted to the hospital after his condition deteriorated, with the growths now covering almost the entirety of his hands and feet, the 28-year-old said. ‘I made a mistake by leaving the hospital. I sought alternative treatment but could not find any. I now I understand I should have stayed and continued the treatment here,’ Bajandar said. Samanta Lal Sen, a plastic surgeon at the hospital, said doctors would resume treatment ‘very soon’, adding the growths had spread to other parts of his body. ‘I requested Bajandar to return as soon as possible. Now we have to start from the very beginning. We'll have to conduct more surgeries,’ Sen told AFP. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had promised free treatment for Bajandar after his plight captured the sympathies of the country. He lived in the hospital's expensive private cabin with his wife and daughter for nearly two years during his first round of treatment treatment. The father of one suffers from epidermodysplasia verruciformis, an extremely rare genetic condition also known as ‘tree-man syndrome’. Sen said that fewer than half a dozen people worldwide have the disease. His hospital also treated a young Bangladeshi girl suffering from the condition in 2017. Doctors declared her surgery a success, but her father later said the growths had returned in even greater numbers, prompting the family to halt treatment and return to their village.

Bangladesh factories making clothes for Western brands have sacked hundreds of workers after more than a week of strikes and clashes over wages, police and trade unions said Wednesday. The country's $30-billion clothing industry is the world's second-largest after China. Its some four million workers at 4,500 factories make garments for global retail giants H&M, Walmart and many others. Protests by thousands of employees over low wages began earlier this month, prompting scores of manufacturers to halt production. One worker was killed and more than 50 injured last week after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in a key industrial town outside the capital Dhaka. The demonstrations died down this week after the government agreed to raise salaries, but many returned to work on Wednesday to discover they had been laid off. A top union leader said at least 750 workers at various companies in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia had found notices hanging on factory gates informing them of their dismissal along with photos of their faces. "This is unjust. The owners are doing it to create a climate of fear so that no one can dare to stage protests or demand fair wages," the leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Police told me not to create trouble. Otherwise I'll be disappeared." Police and a senior factory manager gave a lower total of around 400 workers fired for damaging equipment during the strike -- with more than half from one Ashulia plant called Metro Knitting and Dyeing. Metro Knitting's general manager Atiqul Islam told AFP that the company has reported nearly 300 workers to police for smashing the factory's CCTV cameras and computers. "Some 10,000 apparel items made for export also went missing," Islam added. So far 12 arrests have been made for vandalism during the unrest, local police said. The strikes came a few weeks after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- accused by rights and opposition groups of becoming increasingly authoritarian -- was re-elected on December 30 after a violence-plagued campaign.

Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers downed tools and walked out of clothing factories yesterday, refusing to end a week-long strike over wages and rejecting government efforts to end the standoff.  Police said thousands of labourers marched off factory floors for an eighth consecutive day, disrupting Bangladesh’s $30-bn-a-year industry spinning clothes for major western brands.  Unlike previous days, there were no reports of violence. One worker was killed last week after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some 5,000 protesters. In Ashulia, near the capital Dhaka, armoured personnel carriers and hundreds of police guarded factories in the country’s largest garment hub. A message broadcast over loudspeakers urged protesters to return to work: “A list is being prepared of those who are roaming around. No violence will be tolerated.”  As the strike entered a second week Sunday, the government brokered a deal between unions and manufacturers to end the dispute, agreeing to raise wages for mid-tier tailors.  But some received hikes of little more than 20 taka ($0.25) a month, angering many tailors who churn out boutique clothing for high-end fashion lines overseas. “I think the wage hike was unjust,” Ruhul Amin, executive president of the Garment Trade Union Centre, told AFP.  Some workers joining yesterday’s protests expressed anger over the heavy-handed police response last week and accused factory bosses of withholding pay from those who joined the strike.  “We’re not getting paid for the last week, that’s why we walked out,” Mitali Begum, another labourer, told AFP. The protests are the first major test for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since winning a fourth term in the December 30 elections, which were marred by violence and allegations of vote rigging and intimidation.  An estimated 4mn Bangladeshis work in the country’s 4,500 garment factories.  Roughly 80% of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from clothing sales abroad, with global retailers H&M, Primark, Walmart, Tesco and Aldi among the main buyers.  Last year, Bangladesh was the second-largest global apparel exporter after China. It has ambitious plans to expand the sector into a $50-bn-a-year industry by 2023.

Several thousand garment workers took to the streets in Bangladesh on Monday, rejecting a pay hike in the crucial export industry as insufficient, police and union leaders said. Garment owners agreed to raise workers' pay on Sunday after a week of violent demonstrations in which one person was killed and dozens wounded as police used teargas and water cannon to disperse workers who blocked roads and vandalised vehicles and factories. The protests are a test for the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who won a third straight term in a Dec. 30 election, which was marred by violence and allegations of widespread rigging and voter intimidation. Workers from up to 10 factories tried to block a highway in the Ashulia garment manufacturing belt on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka,’ said Saminur Rahman, a director for the Industrial Police, which patrols the country's business hubs. ‘We dispersed them immediately and all other factories are open,’ he added. Though many have returned to work, most employees remain unhappy with the pay rise proposed as basic salaries were not raised as expected, union leaders said. ‘We had to accept it as the proposal came from our prime minister. How can we dishonour it?’ Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation president Babul Akter said. ‘We urged all workers to resume work. We hope the prime minister will ensure our proper wages in near future,’ he added. Garment owners said the rise put an extra burden on them which small factories will find difficult to afford, urging global brands to pay more for the clothes they buy. Low wages and trade deals with Western countries have turned Bangladesh's garments sector into a $30 billion industry accounting for 80 percent of the country's exports, with retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc and H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB buying clothes from its factories. ‘We have agreed to the new wages for the greater interest for the sector,’ said Siddiqur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers' and Exporters' Association. ‘Through increasing productivity, we will have to adjust to the rise,’ he said, adding: ‘At the same time, international brands will have to share the rising costs.’ The government said in September that the minimum wage for garment workers would increase by up to 51 percent to 8,000 taka ($95) a month, payable in January, the first increase since 2013. But union leaders say that increase will benefit only a small percentage of workers in the garment sector, which employs 4 million out of the country's 165 million people.

Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers churning out clothes for top global brands walked off the job yesterday and clashed with police as protests over low wages entered a second week. Police said water cannons and tear gas were fired to disperse huge crowds of striking factory workers in Savar, a garment hub just outside the capital Dhaka.  “The workers barricaded the highway, we had to drive them away to ease traffic conditions,” industrial police director Sana Shaminur Rahman told AFP about strike action. “So far 52 factories, including some big ones, have shut down operations due to the protests.”  One worker was killed on Tuesday after police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at some 5,000 protesting workers. Bangladesh is dependent on garments stitched by millions of low-paid tailors on factory floors across the emerging South Asia economy of 165mn people. Roughly 80% of its export earnings come from clothing sales abroad, with global retailers H&M, Primark, Walmart, Tesco and Aldi among the main buyers. Union leader Aminul Islam blamed factory owners for resorting to violence to control striking workers. “But they are more united than ever,” he told AFP. “It doesn’t seem like they will leave the streets, until their demands are met.”  The protests are the first major test for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since winning a fourth term in December 30 elections marred by violence, thousands of arrests and allegations of vote rigging and intimidation. Late yesterday, the government announced a pay hike for mid-level factory workers after meeting with manufacturers and unions. Not all unions have signalled they will uphold the agreement. Babul Akhter, a union leader present at the meeting, told AFP the deal should appease striking workers. “They should not reject it, and peacefully return to work,” he told AFP.  Minimum wages for the lowest-paid garment workers rose by a little over 50% this month to 8,000 taka ($95) per month. But mid-tier tailors say their rise was paltry and fails to reflect the rising costs of living, especially in housing.  Bangladesh’s 4,500 textile and clothing factories shipped more than $30bn worth of apparel last year.  The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association, which wields huge political influence, warned all factories might be shut if tailors do not return to work immediately. “We may follow the ‘no work, no pay’ theory, according to the labour law,” association president Siddikur Rahman told reporters. Last year Bangladesh was the second-largest global apparel exporter after China. It has ambitious plans to expand the sector into a $50bn a year industry by 2023. But despite their role in transforming the impoverished nation into a major manufacturing hub, garment workers remain some of the lowest paid in the world. The industry also has a poor workplace safety record. The Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in 2013 killed more than 1,130 people in one of the world’s worst industrial accidents. Following the disaster, major retailers formed two groups to introduce factory reforms. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association says its members have since invested $1bn in safety upgrades.

Authorities in Bangladesh have announced revised wages in the garment sector after thousands of workers rallied to demand the implementation of a pay scale approved last year, officials said on Sunday. State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sufian made the announcement hours after the owners threatened to shut garment factories for an indefinite period unless the workers return to work. The revised wages are expected to bring an end to the unrest, the ministry said in a statement that detailed the wages for six workers' grades, keeping the minimum pay for an entry-level worker unchanged at 8,000 taka (95 US dollars) per month. A worker in the top grade will now get 18,257 taka a month, up from 17,510 taka set in the wage policy of 2018, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi told reporters after a meeting with trade union representatives and factory owners. The pay hike in the other grades was adjusted proportionately, he said adding the revised wages will be applied retrospectively from December. He called on the workers to return to factories immediately. Earlier, the owners threatened to shut garment factories for an indefinite period unless protesting workers return to work by Monday. ‘If they don't return [to work], we will keep the factories shut,’ the president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told a news conference on Sunday as the labour unrest entered into its second week. The owners will be forced to stop paying workers as the law allows them to go for ‘no work, no pay’ process, he said. Thousands of garment workers have been protesting on the streets in Dhaka and its adjoining industrial districts since January 6 to demand full implementation of a pay scale approved last year for the garment sector. On Sunday, at least 10 people were injured as police fired teargas and water cannon to disperse a group of workers who blocked a national highway in the Ashulia industrial area, officer Sana Shaminur Rahman told reporters. The unrest forced more than 50 factories to shut for the day, Rahman said. The workers alleged that many factory owners were not implementing the government's minimum wage policy for the garment sector that was announced in September. Starting in December, the monthly minimum wage for entry-level workers in Bangladesh's garment factories increased 51 per cent to 8,000 taka from 5,300 taka. But trade union leaders said factory owners did not raise wages across pay grades as per the government's instructions, prompting the workers to take to the streets. The government on Tuesday formed a panel to review the situation, asking factory owners to pay wage arrears next month, if any, alongside wages for January. Bangladesh earns more than 29 billion dollars a year from garment exports, mostly destined for Europe and the United States.   

Workers in Bangladesh yesterday staged demonstrations and ransacked nearly a dozen factories in protests over disparity in their new wage structure. In Tongi, one of the key apparel industrial hubs on the outskirts of capital Dhaka, at least nine factories were reportedly vandalised by the protesting workers. Equipped with sticks, workers also vandalised two more factories in Dhaka’s Mirpur area. Against this backdrop, scores of factories in Dhaka and in the apparel hubs on the outskirts of the capital city suspended their production. Dozens of people including workers and law enforcers were injured in incidents of violence yesterday as police charged batons and used water cannon to disperse the protesters in places. A tripartite committee with representatives from the government, union leaders and factory owners has already been formed to resolve the ongoing unrest. Tens of thousands garment workers have been staging demonstration since Sunday.

Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Bangladesh's prime minister for a record fourth term Monday after a crushing election victory marred by deadly violence and claims of widespread rigging. Hasina, 71, has presided over record economic growth in the South Asian country of 165 million people but critics have accused her of creeping authoritarianism. Her ruling Awami League party and its allies won the December 30 elections by a landslide, securing 288 seats in the 300-seat parliament compared to just seven for the main opposition. The campaign saw mass arrests of opposition activists and candidates and allegations of widespread rigging including ballot stuffing and voter intimidation. Seventeen people were killed on election day. The European Union has called for a probe into allegations of irregularities, saying "significant obstacles to a level playing field... tainted the electoral campaign and the vote." The United States expressed concern about "credible reports of harassment, intimidation and violence". The United Nations on Friday said there were indications that "reprisals" have targeted the opposition since the election, including physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, harassment, disappearances and filing of criminal cases. The opposition, which last week boycotted the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected MPs, has demanded fresh polls under a neutral caretaker government -- something Hasina and the election commission have rejected outright. President Abdul Hamid administered Hassina'a oath in a ceremony at the presidential palace, Bangabhaban. A 47-member cabinet with many new faces was also sworn in. To her supporters, Hasina is known as Bangladesh's "mother of humanity" for allowing in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar in 2017. Opponents accuse her of jailing arch-foe Khaleda Zia on politically motivated charges, of orchestrating mass arrests, enforced disappearances and passing Draconian anti-press freedom laws to try to cling to power. Hasina was abroad in August 1975 when a group of renegade military officers assassinated her father, Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his wife and three sons. She started her political career as a hero of the people, returning from exile in 1981 to take over as Awami League leader and beginning a long struggle to restore democracy in Bangladesh. Hasina joined forces with Zia's BNP to help oust military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990 but the pair soon fell out and were branded the "Battling Begums". Their rivalry has dominated Bangladeshi politics for the last 30 years. Hasina was first elected prime minister in 1996 but she struggled to emerge from the shadow of her father during her first term and lost the 2001 contest. She returned to power after winning the December 2008 polls by landslide, just months after she was imprisoned by a military-backed government on corruption charges. She has been in power ever since, presiding over economic expansion of more than six percent every year since 2009. GDP growth last year was 7.86 percent and Hasina has promised to take that into double digits.

* Ruling alliance wins 287 of 298 seats where results declared - Election Commission * Election authorities investigating rigging complaints * Police say 17 killed in clashes on Sunday Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected opposition complaints of vote rigging and said people had gone to the polls enthusiastically in a largely peacefully general election that her ruling alliance swept with a landslide. Hasina won a third straight term in Sunday's election, with alliance led by her Awami League winning 287 of the 298 seats for which results had been declared, the Election Commission said. But the opposition rejected the result and called for a fresh vote, complaining of what it said was widespread rigging. Hasina dismissed complaints of cheating and the chief election commissioner rejected the opposition demand for a re-run of the vote. He said voting had been held in a peaceful manner. At least 17 people were killed during the vote, police said, after a violent campaign in which the opposition alleged the government denied it a level playing field. The Election Commission said earlier it was investigating allegations of vote rigging from "across the country", and Hasina told reporters the commission had every right to do so. Hasina's win follows a decade in power in which she has been credited with improving the economy and promoting development, while being accused of rights abuses, a crackdown on media and suppressing dissent. The government rejects those accusations. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which had boycotted the last general election in 2014 saying it would not be fair, won just six seats in the 300-seat assembly this time. BNP leader Khaleda Zia - Hasina's arch rival and a former prime minister - was jailed in February on corruption charges she says were politically motivated. This was the first election in which the BNP campaigned without her. Hasina told reporters the opposition had done badly in the election as it lacked leadership. She also said she was surprised the opposition had not campaigned more actively. The rivalry between the two women - both related to former leaders - has largely defined Bangladeshi politics for decades. Raising minimum wages for workers in Bangladesh's robust garments industry, the world's second-biggest after China's, could be one of Hasina's first tasks, party leaders have said. Opposition leader Kamal Hossain earlier said their alliance, the National Unity Front, led by the BNP, had called on the Election Commission to order a fresh vote under a neutral administration "as soon as possible", saying the vote was flawed. "We've had bad elections in the past but I must say that it is unprecedented how bad this particular election was," 82-year-old Hossain told Reuters late on Sunday. Candidates reported witnessing ballot-stuffing and vote-rigging by ruling party activists, who also barred opposition polling agents from voting centres, Hossain said. "The minimum requirements of free and fair election are absent," he said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared headed for a landslide win in a general election yesterday that was marred by clashes between rival supporters that killed 14 people and opposition claims of rigged voting. Early results showed Hasina’s Awami League racing into a clear lead, quickly securing 61 seats against one for the opposition – some by tens of thousands of votes – according to Channel 24, which is compiling results from around the country. The alliance of parties running against Hasina branded the election “farcical” and urged the country’s election commission to void the results. “We are demanding that a fresh election is held under a neutral government as early as possible,” Kamal Hossain, who heads the coalition, told reporters. Deadly violence and bitter rivalry that marred the election campaign spilled over into voting day, even as authorities imposed tight security with 600,000 troops, police and other security forces deployed across the country. Ten people were killed in clashes between Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters, police said, while three men were shot by police who said they were protecting polling booths. An auxiliary police member was also killed by armed opposition activists, according to officials. Hasina, 71, has been lauded for boosting economic growth in the poor South Asian nation during her decade in power and for welcoming Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. But critics accuse her of authoritarianism and crippling the opposition – including arch-rival and BNP leader Khaleda Zia who is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges – to cling on to power. The BNP-led opposition alliance yesterday accused Hasina’s party of using stuffed ballot boxes and other illegal means to fix the result, which is to be officially announced today. BNP spokesman Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal told reporters there were “irregularities” in 221 of the 300 seats contested. “Voters are not allowed to enter booths. Especially women voters are being forced to vote for the boat,” Alal said, referring to the Awami League symbol. Bangladesh election commission spokesman S M Asaduzzaman said the body had “received a few allegations of irregularities” and was investigating. Authorities shut down high speed Internet services during polling “to prevent the spread of rumours” that could trigger unrest.  Voting in the capital Dhaka was largely peaceful as convoys of soldiers and paramilitary forces were on the streets where most traffic was banned. “I have never missed voting in my life. This is probably the last election for me and I want a suitable candidate for my country,” 98-year-old Abdus Salam said at a Dhaka polling station. However voters in provincial areas reported intimidation. Atiar Rahman said he was beaten by ruling party activists in the central district of Narayanganj. “They told me not to bother, ‘We’ll cast your vote on your behalf’,” he said. The opposition said the unrest was stirred up to deter voters, and presiding officers reported a low turnout across the country. Yesterday’s deaths brought to 18 the official police toll for election violence since the ballot was announced on November 8. Police said they acted “in self-defence” in the southern town of Bashkhali, when they fired on opposition supporters who stormed a polling booth, killing one. In a separate incident a man was shot by police after he tried to steal a ballot box. Hasina needs 151 seats to control parliament but experts say a victory would be sullied by accusations that she hamstrung opponents. The opposition says more than 15,000 of its activists were detained during the campaign, crushing its ability to mobilise support. Human Rights Watch and other international groups said the crackdown created a climate of fear which could prevent opposition supporters from casting ballots. The United States raised concerns about the credibility of the election while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Seventeen opposition candidates were arrested over what they claim are trumped-up charges while another 17 were disqualified from running by courts, which Hasina’s opponents say are government controlled. The Bangladeshi leadership has alternated between Hasina and Zia, allies-turned-foes, over the last three decades. Hasina rejects accusations of authoritarianism but analysts say she feared young voters would support the BNP. Hasina was gifted victory in the 2014 election when the BNP boycotted the vote claiming it was not free and fair. TV station shut, seven journalists assaulted on election day A leading Bangladesh news channel was taken off the air and seven journalists were assaulted as the country voted for a new government yesterday amid allegations of a media crackdown. The private Jamuna TV said the action was taken late Saturday. “Cable operators took Jamuna TV off air without giving us any explanation,” Fahim Ahmed, the station’s chief news editor, said. “We are still transmitting. But no one in Bangladesh can see our channel due to the blackout,” he said. The channel’s output can still be viewed online. The broadcaster, which is owned by Jamuna Group – one of Bangladesh’s biggest conglomerates, which also runs a newspaper – is known for its independent coverage. Salma Islam, a member of the family that owns the group, stood in yesterday’s election as an independent candidate against an influential ruling party businessman. Seven journalists said they were attacked by pro-government activists in separate scuffles, in which a number of them were injured and their equipment vandalised. Journalists, including two from AFP, were also prevented from taking images at some polling centres by pro-government activists. Award-winning photographer Shahidul Alam, who was released from prison last month, was also injured in a scuffle outside a polling centre. (AFP)

* Ruling party wins or ahead in 162 seats, ahead of majority mark * Election Commission says investigating rigging complaints * Police say 17 killed in clashes across Bangladesh on Sunday  Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling party took a big lead over the opposition in a national election on Sunday, early results and trends showed, in a poll that was marred by allegations of vote rigging and violence that killed 17 people. A third straight term for Hasina's Awami League was widely expected, but the main opposition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rejected the election and called for a fresh vote in the country of 165 million people. The Election Commission said it was investigating complaints of rigging, even as at least three voters in southeast Bangladesh, including a journalist, said they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," commission spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman said. "If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules." But as results started coming in showing the Awami League winning 48 seats and one for the BNP, Asaduzzaman declined to comment if its investigation would have any bearing on the final outcome. Hasina's party was leading in 114 seats while the BNP was ahead in two, according to TV channels. There are 300 parliamentary constituencies in Bangladesh. "The election is a cruel mockery with the nation," BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. "This type of election is harmful to the nation. The country has suffered so much through this election." Reuters saw a group of about 50 women chanting "Sheikh Hasina! Sheikh Hasina!" on a deserted street in Dhaka as election results started trickling in. Reuters reporters across the country saw sparse turnout at polling booths during the election. In nine polling centres Reuters reporters visited in Dhaka, posters bearing the Awami League's "boat" symbol far outnumbered those of the opposition. Mahbub Talukdar, one of the five election commissioners who stirred a controversy last week by saying there was no level-playing field for the parties, told Reuters he did not see any opposition polling agents near the Dhaka booth where he voted, suggesting they had been kept away. Clashes in the Muslim-majority country broke out between workers of the Awami League and its opponents, led by the BNP of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. At least one of the victims was attacked by a machete-carrying group, police said, adding a man from a paramilitary auxiliary force also died. Police spokesman Sohel Rana said seven victims were workers of the ruling party and five from the BNP. He said around 20 people were wounded. Alleging vote manipulation, at least six candidates fighting against the Awami League withdrew from the contest in Khulna, a divisional headquarters 300 km southwest of Dhaka. Media reports said across the country more than 40 out of 287 opposition candidates in fray pulled out alleging vote rigging. Rasel, a 34-year-old voter in the southeastern district of Chittagong, said he saw police and some Awami League workers he knew stopping people from entering one polling centre. "They told me that 'voting is going on nicely, you don’t need to go inside'. If you try to enter, you will be in trouble'," Rasel, who declined to give his second name fearing reprisals, told Reuters by phone. The local electoral officer said he had investigated the incident and "found long queue in these centres and people were casting votes with a festive mood". The Awami League said opposition supporters were wrongly accusing the party. Soon after voting finished at 4 pm (1000 GMT), Reuters saw polling officials unsealing see-through ballot boxes and pouring the contents onto a blue plastic sheet on the floor of an election booth in Dhaka. Final results are expected to be clear early on Monday. The BNP boycotted the last election in 2014 claiming it wouldn't be free and fair. The party has been hobbled by the absence of its chairperson Khaleda, 74, who has been in jail since February on corruption charges which she says are politically motivated. Hasina and Khaleda have alternated in power for most of the last three decades and this is the first election the BNP has contested without its leader. It stitched together the National Unity Front alliance with smaller parties, but has alleged its supporters and candidates faced attacks and intimidation, including shootings and arrests, at the hands of ruling party activists during campaigning. Hasina's party has denied the charges. After voting in Dhaka, she told reporters people favoured her party to "continue the pace of development". She has already invited foreign journalists and poll observers to her official residence on Monday. Under Hasina, the country's $280 billion economy grew 7.8 percent in the 2017/18 financial year that ended on June 30, compared with 5.1 percent when Hasina took over in 2008/09. Over the same period, annual sales of its economic mainstay, the garment industry, nearly tripled, with garment exports worth $30.6 billion in 2017/18, making up 83.5 percent of total exports. One of Hasina's top jobs if she retains power will be to address demands by garment workers for a higher minimum wage. At a polling booth in old Dhaka on Sunday, some were afraid to comment on the polls, describing an atmosphere of fear. A middle-aged businessman who declined to be named said: "I am here to vote, but my family says, 'what's the point?' The ruling party will come back in power in any case." Hasina has been praised internationally for providing refuge to Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar, but her government is accused of suppressing dissent and jailing critics. Hasina has faced accusations in the West of increasing authoritarianism. Her son, Wazed, told Reuters Hasina regarded such accusations as a "badge of honour".

At least 12 people were killed in election-day clashes in Bangladesh Sunday, after a bloody campaign overshadowed by a crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is expected to win a historic but controversial fourth term. Three men were shot by police while eight others died in clashes between activists from the ruling Awami League Party and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), police said. An auxiliary police member was killed after being attacked by opposition activists armed with guns and sticks, according to officials. Voting, which ended at 4:00pm (1000 GMT), was held under tight security. Polls have predicted that Hasina will clinch a third-consecutive term and record fourth overall. Bangladesh's leader has been lauded for boosting economic growth in the poor South Asian nation during an unbroken decade in power and for welcoming Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. But critics accuse her of authoritarianism and crippling the opposition -- including arch-rival Khaleda Zia who is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges -- to cling on to power. The election campaign was marred by violence between supporters of Hasina's Awami League and Zia's BNP. Some 600,000 security personnel were deployed across the South Asian country, including at 40,000 polling stations. Authorities ordered mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours" that could trigger unrest. The election-day deaths brought to 16 the official police toll for election violence since the ballot was announced on November 8. Police said they acted "in self-defence" in the southern town of Bashkhali, when they opened fire on opposition supporters who attempted to storm a polling booth, killing one. In a separate incident another man was shot by police after he tried to steal a ballot box. Opinion polls show Hasina, who has presided over six percent GDP expansion every year since she won a landslide in 2008, heading for a comfortable victory that would extend her reign as the country's longest-serving leader. She needs 151 seats in the first-past-the-post system to control the 300-seat parliament but experts say a victory would be sullied by accusations that she hamstrung her opponents' campaign and scared people into voting for her. The opposition says more than 15,000 of its activists have been detained during the weeks-long campaign, crushing its ability to mobilise grassroots support. "We are getting disturbing reports outside Dhaka that overnight votes have been cast illegally," said Kamal Hossain, the 82-year-old architect of Bangladesh's constitution who is helming the opposition coalition. Presiding officers at polling stations across Dhaka reported a low turnout. Human Rights Watch and other international groups have decried the crackdown, saying it has created a climate of fear which could prevent opposition supporters from casting ballots. The United States has raised concerns about the credibility of the Muslim-majority country's election while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Seventeen opposition candidates have been arrested over what they claim are trumped-up charges while another 17 were disqualified from running by courts, which Hasina's opponents say are government controlled. "This is not (a) free and fair election. It is more a controlled selection," said a Western diplomat who asked not to be named. The Bangladeshi leadership has alternated between Hasina and Zia, allies-turned-foes, over the last three decades. Hasina rejects accusations of creeping authoritarianism but analysts say she mounted the clampdown over fears that young voters were set to hand a victory to the BNP. Her government was criticised this year for its heavy handling of weeks of massive student protests over the abolition of job quotas and poor safety standards on Bangladesh's dangerous roads. Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh's first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was gifted victory in the 2014 election when the BNP boycotted the vote claiming it wasn't free or fair. Since then, rights groups have accused her administration of stifling freedom of speech through the toughening of a draconian anti-press law and the enforced disappearance of government dissenters.

Bangladesh tightened security yesterday for an election expected to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina win a record fourth term but dominated by opposition claims that they have been shackled by a government clampdown. Authorities have deployed around 600,000 police, army and other security forces ahead of today’s vote, a senior official said, following a deadly campaign of clashes and the arrests of opposition activists. The forces – which also include the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), navy, border and coast guards and auxiliary police units – will guard some 40,000 election booths across the poor South Asian nation. “We have ensured the highest level of security in Bangladesh as per the capacity of the country,” Rafiqul Islam of the election commission said. “We hope there will be a peaceful atmosphere,” he said. Bangladesh’s telecoms regulator also ordered the country’s mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday “to prevent the spread of rumours”, that could trigger unrest, a spokesman said.  A heavy police presence was evident on the streets of the capital Dhaka ahead of the polls opening at 8am (0200 GMT) Sunday but  residents appeared undeterred. “Voting is important because as a citizen of Bangladesh it is my duty. I’ll cast my vote for my chosen candidate,” Siam Ahmed said. Clashes have gripped the Muslim majority country of 165mn in the run-up to the vote, in which the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are leading their own alliances. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in skirmishes between supporters of Hasina and activists of the BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges. The BNP – which boycotted the 2014 election, handing Hasina an easy victory – says its supporters have been deliberately targeted in a bid to deter them from voting, clearing the prime minister’s path for a new term. The 71-year-old Hasina has called for voters to back her to further bolster the economy which has shown impressive growth during her decade in power. She has rejected accusations of growing authoritarianism. The BNP – the main player in an alliance headed by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old lawyer who drew up Bangladesh’s constitution – has accused the election commission of bias during the campaign. The opposition says more than 14,000 of its activists have been detained since the election was announced on November 8. The BNP said over 1,100 people were rounded up on Friday alone. The party also alleges that around 12,000 activists were injured in attacks by ruling party followers. The Awami League denies the allegation. Sixteen international human rights groups released a joint statement yesterday saying the crackdown “compromises the integrity” of the vote. The United States has raised concerns about the elections while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Rafiqul Islam said election authorities were still hopeful the country’s 11th parliamentary polls since independence from Pakistan in 1971 would be credible. “We’re trying our best to have a free and fair election,” he said. A spokesman for the RAB, Bangladesh’s elite security force, said Saturday they had arrested eight men for spreading rumours on social media ahead of Sunday’s poll. Forty-eight people have been detained by the force in 2018 for spreading “false information and mocking” Hasina, the spokesman said. The election commission has also imposed restrictions on public transport and cars on polling day in an effort to maintain security for a smooth election, said Islam. Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and now its longest-serving leader, is seeking a third-straight term since winning a landslide in December 2008.

Bangladesh tightened security Saturday for an election expected to see Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina win a record fourth term but dominated by opposition claims that they have been shackled by a government clampdown. Authorities have deployed around 600,000 police, army and other security forces ahead of Sunday's vote, a senior official said, following a deadly campaign of clashes and the arrests of opposition activists. The forces -- which also include the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), navy, border and coast guards and auxiliary police units -- will guard some 40,000 election booths across the poor South Asian nation. "We have ensured the highest level of security in Bangladesh as per the capacity of the country," Rafiqul Islam of the election commission told AFP. "We hope there will be a peaceful atmosphere," he said. Bangladesh's telecoms regulator also ordered the country's mobile operators to shut down 3G and 4G services until midnight on Sunday "to prevent the spread of rumours", that could trigger unrest, a spokesman said.  A heavy police presence was evident on the streets of the capital Dhaka ahead of the polls opening at 8:00 am (0200 GMT) Sunday but residents appeared undeterred. "Voting is important because as a citizen of Bangladesh it is my duty. I'll cast my vote for my chosen candidate," Siam Ahmed told AFP.  Clashes have gripped the Muslim majority country of 165 million in the run-up to the vote, in which the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are leading their own alliances. Thirteen people have been killed and thousands injured in skirmishes between supporters of Hasina and activists of the BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges. The BNP -- which boycotted the 2014 election, handing Hasina an easy victory -- says its supporters have been deliberately targeted in a bid to deter them from voting, clearing the prime minister's path for a new term. The 71-year-old Hasina has called for voters to back her to further bolster the economy which has shown impressive growth during her decade in power. She has rejected accusations of growing authoritarianism. The BNP -- the main player in an alliance headed by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford educated lawyer who drew up Bangladesh's constitution -- has accused the election commission of bias during the campaign. The opposition says more than 14,000 of its activists have been detained since the election was announced on November 8. The BNP said over 1,100 people were rounded up on Friday alone. The party also alleges that around 12,000 activists were injured in attacks by ruling party followers. The Awami League denies the allegation. Sixteen international human rights groups released a joint statement Saturday saying the crackdown "compromises the integrity" of the vote. The United States has raised concerns about the elections while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair. Rafiqul Islam said election authorities were still hopeful the country's 11th parliamentary polls since independence from Pakistan in 1971 would be credible. - Arrests - "We're trying our best to have a free and fair election," he said. A spokesman for the RAB, Bangladesh's elite security force, said Saturday they had arrested eight men for spreading rumours on social media ahead of Sunday's poll. Forty-eight people have been detained by the force in 2018 for spreading "false information and mocking" Hasina, the spokesman said. The election commission has also imposed restrictions on public transport and cars on polling day in an effort to maintain security for a smooth election, said Islam. Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and now its longest-serving leader, is seeking a third-straight term since winning a landslide in December 2008. She has been praised for presiding over healthy GDP expansion, with the country set to graduate from a least developed country to a middle income nation, and lauded for opening Bangladesh's doors to around one million Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar. But critics accuse her of muzzling free speech and clamping down on dissent, including through a draconian anti-press law toughened this year.

Bangladesh’s general election campaign ended yesterday with more deadly violence and arrests of opposition activists which have raised international concern as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina seeks a record fourth term.   A ruling Awami League party supporter was killed by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) followers, police said, while the BNP claimed 19 more of its activists had been detained ahead of tomorrow’s election.  The official campaign ended at 8am yesterday after seven weeks of widespread street clashes and accusations of an official crackdown on the opposition.   An opinion poll indicated Hasina is favourite to win despite the controversy.  Police said the Awami League supporter was beaten to death in the northeastern city of Sylhet late Thursday. They had reported two earlier deaths of Awami League activists since the campaign opened on November 8. The BNP says eight of its supporters have been killed in election clashes.  Sylhet police chief Shah Harunur Rashid told AFP that two BNP supporters had been arrested for the latest killing. The BNP said the the man died in a conflict among Awami League supporters. Nineteen BNP activists were arrested when police and paramilitary guards raided the election camp of a BNP candidate and several villages in southern Bangladesh, police and BNP officials told AFP.  Thousands of Awami League supporters rallied in Dhaka early yesterday as candidates made a last-minute pitch for votes. The BNP, which says thousands of its activists have been locked up in a bid to rig the election, said it had been prevented from holding its final rally in the capital. Hasina has shrugged off accusations of using authoritarian tactics, and in her final campaign statement urged Bangladesh’s 104mn voters to re-elect her to boost the impoverished South Asian nation’s economic development.   Bangladesh’s economy has grown at an impressive average of 6.3% every year since she won a landslide in December 2008. “Much work is still pending and it depends on the people casting a vote for us. Then we will be able to return to power and complete the work,” she said late Thursday. The BNP accuses the prime minister of clamping down on democracy and freedom of speech – including over the jailing of its leader Khaleda Zia this year on graft charges. It says that 9,222 workers and supporters have been arrested during the election campaign and that half of its candidates were attacked by ruling party supporters. Its Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, says more than 3,600 of its activists were also detained.  The opposition has depended on social media to lobby for votes, saying that harassment has confined many candidates to their homes.  The BNP stepped up a desperate call for people to vote on Sunday. “On that day this country will be yours. You will take back its ownership,” BNP deputy chief Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. The campaign troubles have put Bangladesh in an international spotlight.  US ambassador Earl Miller said “the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks,” following a meeting with Bangladesh’s election chief late Thursday.   He added that while all parties have been victims, “it appears opposition party candidates have borne the brunt of most violence.”  Miller said everyone in Bangladesh must be able to vote “without harassment, intimidation, or violence”. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for a vote “free of violence, intimidation and coercion,” according to a spokesman. An opinion poll has showed Hasina is poised for a comfortable win. The Awami League leader won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was not free and fair, gifting her a return to power. But since her last victory, civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina’s government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press. Zia, an arch-rival of the prime minister, was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges that her party says are politically motivated.

For Kamal Hossain — the Oxford-educated architect of Bangladesh’s constitution — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is an ‘autocrat’ who has betrayed the legacy of her independence hero father.   The 82-year-old former friend of Bangladesh’s first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman heads an alliance opposing Hasina’s bid for a historic fourth term in a general election tomorrow.  Hossain accuses Hasina’s Awami League party of trampling over Bangladesh’s hard-won democratic freedoms by locking up and attacking opposition activists in a bid to rig the poll. While the prime minister denies wrongdoing, she has a growing number of critics at home and abroad. “It is really tragic that we are are having to witness this in the 47th year of independence,” Hossain told AFP in an interview at his Dhaka home.   “Those who are in government know that in any fair election they would lose hands down. That’s the sad thing,” he added. Hossain, a lawyer, was Bangladesh’s first law minister following independence from Pakistan in 1971 and headed the committee that drew up a constitution the following year. He alleges that there has been “overwhelming violence” against members of the opposition coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). International observers back claims that government opponents are being targeted, with Human Rights Watch saying that the election was being conducted in a “repressive political environment”. “We’ve had violence in elections (before) but this time it is systemic and continual violence,” said Hossain. “I never knew you could have so many goons who could be organised and deployed all across the country,” he added.  The BNP and its Islamist ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, say that around 13,000 of their supporters have been detained since the election timetable was announced on November 8.  The BNP, whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving 17 years in jail on graft charges, says eight of its supporters have been killed by Awami League activists during the election campaign. According to police three Awami League supporters have died.  US ambassador Earl Miller said “the United States is concerned by the high level of campaign violence over the last two weeks,” while the United Nations has appealed for calm.   Hasina is set for a comfortable win, according to an opinion poll, securing her a third-consecutive term and extending her record as the country’s longest serving ruler.  The Awami League leader won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was not free and fair, gifting her a return to power. Now civil society and rights groups accuse Hasina’s government of silencing dissent by muzzling the press and jailing journalists.  Hundreds of people have become victims of enforced disappearances blamed on security forces, according to civil rights groups while the BNP claims Zia’s imprisonment is politically motivated.  Hasina denies a descent into authoritarianism but Hossain insists she has become an “autocrat” and says he finds it “very, very painful” since he helped her return to Bangladesh following her father’s assassination in 1975.   Rahman was the founding father of Bangladesh and also served as prime minister, gaining the nickname Bangabandhu, meaning “Friend of Bengal”. He was killed, along with most of his family, in a military coup.   Hossain was close to Rahman and Hasina, until they fell out politically in the 1990s.   Hossain says Hasina has betrayed her father’s legacy “with a capital B” and that he wants to restore democracy and Bangladesh’s institutions.   “Is she really Bangabandhu’s (Rahman’s) daughter? It has gone to that level. “We are the victims of someone who has no commitment to democracy,” he told AFP. Hossain, who walks with the aid of a stick, insists that as an octogenarian he has no intentions of trying to become president after the election.  He believes that senior politicians must bring through the next generation because once a leader is viewed as irreplaceable “it’s the beginning of the end”. “I have said I will be around to help, advise and assist but you must get people in their 50s so that you can nurture leadership for the next 20 years,” he said.

Bangladesh’s deadly election campaign entered a final full day yesterday with followers of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina parading in the streets while her opponents insisted the vote would not be free and fair.   Both sides launched new salvoes in their war of words ahead of Sunday’s polling.  Hasina accused the opposition of organising bomb attacks while the Bangladesh Nationalist Party said “the state” was aiding an assault on the opposition.  Thousands of flag-waving supporters of the ruling Awami League marched in Dhaka and other cities bringing the traffic-choked streets to a standstill ahead of the official close of campaigning early today. The BNP, whose leader is in jail, said it had been prevented from holding its closing rally in Dhaka. Thousands of its supporters were allowed to march through the northern city of Sylhet however.  At least six people – four from the BNP and two from the Awami League – have been killed since the campaign started on November 8.  The BNP and its Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami say more than 11,500 of their followers have been arrested and thousand of activists, including candidates, injured in attacks by ruling party followers. Amid international concern over events, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for calm.  Guterres “calls on all stakeholders to ensure an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion before, during and after the elections, so as to enable a peaceful, credible and inclusive poll,” said a spokesman. Bangladeshis “must feel safe and confident in exercising their right to vote. Civil society and electoral observers should be fully supported to play their role in the process,” the UN leader added through his spokesman. The United States called off an observer mission it was financing because of delays issuing visas. Human Rights Watch has said the election was being conducted in a “repressive political environment”.   Hasina, seeking a third straight term and a record fourth in all, has shrugged off opposition complaints of authoritarianism and said she needs more time to implement her ambitious economic plans. Amid a flurry of late campaign appearances on Wednesday, Hasina said the “BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out bomb attacks in 88 constituencies”. “There is no doubt that the people will surely reject them,” she said.  Hasina focused a speech broadcast by video late Wednesday to supporters in Dhaka on the impressive economic growth of the past decade.  She has promised to increase annual growth to 9.0% from the current 7.8%, expand electricity coverage and put the country on course to raise average incomes to more than $5,400 by 2030. Hasina slammed the opposition for failing to recognise Bangladesh’s achievements. “They are blind despite having eyes,” she said. “I call upon people to continue the pace of improvement and give us more scope to serve again.”  The Awami League leader won a landslide victory in 2008 and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election – saying it was not free and fair – gifting her a return to power. But since her last victory, civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina’s government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press. BNP leader Khaleda Zia, an arch-rival of the prime minister, was jailed for 17 years this year on graft charges.  “The election process has turned into a farce,” BNP spokesman Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters. “All the attacks are made on BNP people.”  “It is very unfortunate and unimaginable that these attacks are being sponsored by the state itself,” he added, according to the Daily Star.  The BNP-led opposition alliance has accused police of siding with the Awami League and said they were barred from holding a final rally yesterday. Police turned down their request to hold a meeting in Dhaka, an alliance spokesman Latfiul Bari Hamim told AFP. Dhaka police said they were not aware of the request.

Bangladesh police have arrested more than 10,500 opposition activists in a crackdown ahead of elections this week, opposition parties said yesterday.  The figures were released after the United States urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to do more to ensure free polls on Sunday when she is aiming to win a record fourth term.  Opposition parties said the arrests since the election was called on November 8 were intended to create a “climate of fear”.  The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose leader Khaleda Zia is serving a 17-year jail term, said 7,021 of its activists had been detained.   Its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, said more than 3,500 followers were in custody. Jamaat-e-Islami is banned from contesting elections but has candidates taking part as individuals with the BNP.  “Every day 80 to 90 of our activists have been arrested nationwide. These arrests have created a climate of fear,” Jamaat secretary general Shafiqur Rahman told AFP.  Police spokesman Sohel Rana did not confirm any figure for arrests, but said they did not make “unnecessary arrests” without warrants.  “We never target any individual unless they break the law. These people have specific warrants against them,” he told AFP. Rizvi Ahmed, a BNP spokesman, said the charges laid against party activists were “fictitious” and “ghost” cases” aiming for “a lopsided election” in favour of Hasina.   Hasina and Zia have been political foes since the introduction of democracy in 1991. They have traditionally alternated in power but Hasina’s current rule has lasted since 2009 and Zia’s jail term this year prevented her from taking part in the election.  The BNP and its allies have also accused police and ruling Awami League party activists of attacking their activists and candidates.  The BNP had hoped the deployment of 30,000 troops on Monday would improve security across the Muslim-majority majority country of 165mn. “The Awami League activists along with the law enforcing agencies attacked our candidates at 28 constituencies (in the last 24 hours). Nineteen of our candidates and over 100 activists were injured in the attack,” Ahmed told a press briefing.  He said that since the election campaign started at least 152 BNP candidates were attacked and hundreds of activists were injured in clashes.  Police spokesman Rana denied police had attacked any opposition activists, acknowledging only that “isolated incidents” were possible.  “If we receive any clear and evident allegation against any police member, we will surely take stern action,” Rana said.  Hasina won a 2008 poll by a landslide and the BNP boycotted the 2014 election— saying it was not free and fair — gifting her a return to power. Civil society and rights groups have accused Hasina’s government of silencing dissent and muzzling the press through a strict digital-security law.  The US State Department has also raised concerns about Sunday’s vote after it cancelled a planned observer mission by the Asian Network for Free Elections, which is funded by the US government, because Bangladesh held up visas and credentials.   State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said democratic elections must have “space for peaceful expression and assembly, for independent media to do its job covering electoral developments, for participants to have access to information and for all individuals to be able to partake in the electoral process without harassment, intimidation or violence.”  “We encourage the government of Bangladesh to uphold its commitment to a democratic process by ensuring all Bangladeshis are free to peacefully express themselves and participate,” he added in a statement.