Polls open in Bangladesh, fresh clashes kill 12

Clashes between the supporters of Bangladesh’s ruling party and opposition have left 12 people dead and nearly a dozen others wounded as the South Asian country votes in general elections already plagued by deadly violence.

Reports by the Bangladeshi media said the clashes broke out in the southeast of the country on Sunday between the campaign workers of the Awami League (AL) Party and its opponents, who are led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, amid allegations of vote rigging.

Three men were shot by police, one after he tried to steal a ballot box and the other when opposition activists attempted to storm a polling station in the southern town of Bashkhali. Three others were killed in separate clashes between AL party activists and BNP supporters.

Eight other people were reported to have been killed in separate clashes between AL activists and BNP supporters.

Police said they acted “in self-defense” in the Bashkhali incident.

An auxiliary police member was also killed after being attacked by opposition activists armed with guns and sticks, according to officials.

Polls opened in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and across the South Asian country at 8:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT), with around 104 million people being eligible to vote at more than 42,000 polling centers.

A total of 1,841 candidates from the AL and the BNP are vying for 300 seats in the parliament.

The ballots are widely expected to bring a record fourth term to incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling party.

EA