Two men on a motorbike opened fire on a group of anti-government activists in north-western Bangladesh on Monday, killing two amid heightened tensions on the anniversary of a general election boycotted by a major opposition alliance in 2014, a local opposition leader said.
The shooting took place in Natore district, 160 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, which has remained largely cut off since Sunday, said Aminul Haque, a leader from the local unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Police would not immediately confirm the identities of the dead, but Haque said they were activists from the party’s student wing. The identities of the two men on the motorbike were not immediately known.
The election was boycotted by a major opposition alliance led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Tensions heated up recently after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party said it would hold rallies to celebrate the anniversary, while Ms. Zia announced that anti-government protests would take place.
Ms. Hasina criticized Ms. Zia, saying it was a mistake not to participate in the election and accusing her of destabilising the country.
Police on Sunday banned all rallies in Dhaka and prevented Ms. Zia from leaving her office, while dozens of opposition activists were detained across the country.
