On Sunday, December 30, Bangladesh goes to the polls. The country’s 11th general elections will be held amid widespread violence, at least six people have died in recent weeks while hundreds have been injured. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is running for a third consecutive term. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami say over 11,500 of their followers have been detained.
The national election will take place in the absence of international election monitors, as most have had their visas refused. Amid concerns about poll violence, soldiers have set up camps across Bangladesh and navy personnel are being stationed along the coast.
