BNP protests against government in Bangladesh

DHAKA: Bangladesh´s key political party held large-scale protests against the interim government for the first time on Wednesday, as political rows spill onto the streets including demands for an election date.

Thousands of supporters of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rallied in Dhaka, shutting down central streets, demanding their candidate be installed as the capital´s mayor.

The protests are significant in that they pitted the BNP, seen as the frontrunners in highly anticipated elections, against the caretaker government.

The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus took over following a mass uprising in August 2024 that toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

No date has been set for elections but Yunus has promised polls will be held by June 2026 at the latest.

The BNP have accused the interim government of blocking a ruling by the Election Commission that named their candidate as the winner of 2020 elections, which were seen as rigged by Hasina´s now-banned Awami League party.