Govt Filled Ballot Boxes Last Night: Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said people of the country have boycotted the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls.

"An one-sided election is taking place today. But not a single voter went to the polling stations. The government filled the ballot boxes last night," The BNP leader said before leading a procession in the capital to try to enforce the hartal called by the party on Sunday (January 7).

The procession started from Dhaka's Kurmitola bus stand and went towards the airport.

During this time, the BNP activists raised slogans against the election.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami brought out processions in the capital Dhaka in support of the hartal called by the party and BNP as the nation went to polls.

Party activists held marches in the Uttara area.

After the BNP's announcement of a hartal, Jamaat-e-Islami declared that the party would enforce a 48-hour nationwide hartal covering the election day to press their demand for boycotting the 7 January election.

Starting from 6am on Saturday, the hartal will remain in force until 6am on Monday, according to a press release issued by the party today (January 4).

The party also organised processions and a mass campaign across the country on 5 January.

Jamaat's acting secretary general ATM Masum said the movements are being implemented to boycott the election.

On 4 January, the BNP announced a 48-hour hartal from Saturday morning in protest of the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls.