Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Shuns Election, Accused of Violence and Graft: Home Minister

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, did not participate in the recent parliamentary elections. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan stated that the BNP chose to boycott the election as it knew it would lose. Khan also accused the BNP of being involved in killing people and arson attacks. The BNP, led by former premier Khaleda Zia, has been under house arrest due to graft charges and its absence from the election is seen as a significant factor in the ruling Awami League's expected victory.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, appeared poised to secure a fourth consecutive term as prime minister and a fifth overall term in the recent one-sided election. Despite the BNP's absence, over 119.6 million registered voters were eligible to vote at more than 42,000 polling stations. The election was held under tight security, with over 7.5 lakh law enforcement and security forces deployed to ensure law and order during the polls.