Bangladesh goes to the polls on January 5

Bangladesh goes to the polls to elect the country’s 10th Jatiya Sangsad —national Parliament — on January 5, 2014.

The announcement was made on Monday by the country’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed.

This comes amid major apprehensions about the polls across the nation as the major opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has warned of “tougher actions”,going on to say it would “paralyse” the country if the poll schedule is announced without their demand of a neutral caretaker government being met.

As per the schedule, the last date for the submission of nominations is December 2, scrutiny of nomination papers is to take place on December 5-6 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is December 13.

BNP’s rejection

Rejecting the schedule, the opposition has announced a 48-hour nationwide blockade starting 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Opposition spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, also the acting secretary general of the BNP, announced the blockade, hours after theannouncement.