(MENAFN) Thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Saturday to protest against the rising prices of everyday needs and corruption in the government. The rally, organized by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), accused the ruling Awami League government of "misrule and anomalies," which has led to unnatural price hikes, including in electricity and gas. The opposition leaders claimed that only corrupt members of the ruling party are benefiting from these illicit financial actions, while ordinary people are suffering, with many starving.
During the rally, people carrying banners and festoons chanted slogans in demand of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation in favor of a nonpartisan caretaker government to hold elections. The south Asian Muslim-majority nation of nearly 170 million people is set to hold the country's 12th national election in the coming December or January. However, citing gross irregularities and ballot stuffing in the previous national elections, the main opposition BNP and its allies boycotted the previous 2018 and 2014 national elections.
At a separate rally in Dhaka, the Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of seven opposition political parties in Bangladesh, also accused the government of failing to control the prices of everyday needs. The opposition leaders from both rallies stated that they would hold larger gatherings after Ramadan to press their demands. Despite the government's efforts to control inflation, the Bangladeshi economy has been struggling to cope with rising prices of essential items due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. The protests reflect the growing frustration among the opposition and the general public over the government's handling of the economy and corruption allegations.
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