Bangladesh Arrests Politicians Before Anti-Government Rally
- Country under pressure from higher costs, lower forex reserves
- Opposition party to hold Saturday’s rally in an open field
Police set up a roadblock near the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's central office in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Dec. 8.
Photographer: Rehman Asad/AFP/Getty Images
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Two senior Bangladeshi opposition leaders were arrested by plainclothes police officers as part of a crackdown ahead of a planned demonstration in the capital to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and call for elections.
Bangladesh has come under pressure in recent months as higher food and fuel costs have eaten into foreign currency reserves, prompting Hasina’s government to appeal for a $4.5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.