Hours before the Bangladesh General Elections, miscreants have set close to 14 polling centres and two schools on fire. The main opposition in the country has also issued a call for a 48-hour ‘Hartal’.

New Delhi: Bangladesh is gearing up for its General Elections today, i.e. January 7, 2024 and there have been a lot of turmoil in the country ahead of the polls as protests have been going on in full force. Miscreants have been torching polling centres, schools and even a train, protesting against Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s government. The main Opposition in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has even issued a call for a 48-hour nationwide ‘hartal’ (strike) against PM Sheikh Hasina’s ‘illegal government’ and asked for the Prime Minister’s resignation.

Polling Centres, Schools Set On Fire In Bangladesh

As mentioned earlier, at least 14 polling centres and two schools in 10 districts of Bangladesh were set on fire between Friday evening and early Saturday hours before general elections, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune. Earlier on Saturday, miscreants torched a polling centre in Lalmonirhat’s Hatibandha upazila. The centre, Sheikh Sundar Masterpara Primary School, was set on fire around 10 pm on Saturday. Moreover, five people were arrested after a centre was torched in Mymensingh on Saturday. However, no casualties were reported from the latest arson attacks, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Previously, at least five schools, which were supposed to be used as polling centres on Sunday, were set afire in Feni and Rajshahi in separate incidents from Thursday night to Friday morning. In the Gazipur district of Bangladesh, two polling centres were set on fire by unidentified arsonists in different parts of the district on Saturday.

School Rooms Gutted With Fire, No Damage Reported

In Moulvibazar, the Sabia Government Primary School of Chandighat Union in Sadar upazila was set on fire by arsonists at around 8 pm on Friday. The school was also a polling centre for the Moulvibazar-3 constituency. The school’s managing committee president, Abdur Goffer Bablu, said that the doors of three rooms were gutted in the fire set by four arsonists, according to Dhaka Tribune. In Habiganj, some miscreants set fire to the Dhalaipar Government Primary School centre in Chunarughat Upazila at around 12:15 am on Saturday.Additionally, Chunarughat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Neelima Raihana said that no electoral material or equipment was damaged as the fire could not reach it.

Kaliakair Upazila Nirbahi Officer and assistant returning officer Hossain Mohammad Hye said miscreants set fire to the office room of Bashtoli Government Primary School in Kaliakair Upazila early in the morning. Meanwhile, a group of miscreants set fire to East Chandana Government Primary School in the Bason area of Gazipur city at around 1:30 am, reported Dhaka Tribune. Miscreants also set fire to TNT Ideal High School at Telipara in the city early Saturday; however, it was not a polling centre, said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Reportedly, Md Shamim, senior station officer of Bandar Fire Service Station, said that two firefighting units were engaged in dousing the flames at the spots after being informed about the incidents at around 5 am. In the Nishchinta centre under Chittagong-11 constituency, the fire originated in the headmaster’s room of the school, and valuables, including books, were burned, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

The elections, as mentioned earlier, will be conducted today, January 7, 2024. To assist the administration and help in smooth polling, the government has deployed armed forces from January 3 to January 10, 2024. There are a total of 300 directly elected Parliament seats and a total of nearly 2000 candidates and a record-high 5.1% women candidates; poll predictions say that PM Sheikh Haina is set to win a fourth straight term.