Tens of thousands of troops were to be deployed across Bangladesh on Thursday in a bid to contain deadly political violence ahead of elections which are being boycotted by the opposition.
With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina determined that the January 5 general election goes ahead despite claims that it will be a farce, troops are being sent to nearly every corner of the country at the end of its deadliest year for political violence since independence.
The deployments are expected to further infuriate the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party which called for a mass march on the capital Dhaka beginning on December 29 in a bid to scupper the polls.
Election Commission spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman said that troops would be deployed in at least 59 of the country’s 64 districts.
“They’ll be used as a striking force if there is any violence and they will patrol important areas, streets and highways,” he said.
While a small number of troops has already begun taking up positions, an army spokesman confirmed the mass deployment would begin on Thursday.
He did not say how many troops will be deployed but local media put the number at around 50,000.
