Two main parties in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League (AL) and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khalida Zia are set to see a tough battle at the 12th Parliamentary elections on Saturday, January 7. Following a political tiff between the two parties, BNP, led by ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has once more boycotted the elections, as it did during the 2014 elections.
Hasina, 76, has been in power for the past 15 years, making her the country’s longest-serving leader. Hasina’s tenure has been marked by allegations of authoritarian rule, targeting of the opposition, the suppression of people’s rights, and large-scale vote rigging in elections held to keep her in power. On the other hand, Zia, 78, was jailed for more than two years over corruption charges and was moved to house arrest over health concerns in 2020. However, she denies the allegation, saying her conviction was politically motivated.