DHAKA — Bangladesh’s biggest opposition party and its allies on Tuesday launched a three-day blockade of railways, roads and waterways, aiming to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to resign.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is attempting to snarl transportation across the country after a weekend of violence, when police foiled its plans for a “grand rally,” with hundreds of party members and top leaders arrested, including the party’s secretary-general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. At least three activists and one police officer were killed in the clashes.

While the extent of disruptions is unclear, the opposition’s latest tactic looked likely to increase tensions in the South Asian country, which is due for an election early next year. After previous polls won by Hasina’s Awami League were tarnished by allegations of widespread manipulation — steadfastly denied by the government — the BNP wants a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the next vote.

The weekend turmoil prompted statements of grave concern from countries including the U.S., which had already vowed to impose visa restrictions on anyone deemed to undermine a free and fair election in Bangladesh. But experts see the nation heading into a period of turbulence.

“It is unfortunate that we could not develop a mechanism for a fair election in the last 52 years,” M. Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner, told Nikkei Asia, expressing concern about more violence in the weeks ahead.

“People have no faith in any institution in the country,” said Hussain, who is also a senior research fellow at the Centre for Governance Studies. “Now the question is whether an election will be held or not, and if it takes place, will it be like the 2014 or 2018 polls?”

On Saturday, the BNP as well as its Islamist former ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami had sought to hold large rallies. But the gatherings quickly turned violent, with the police moving in to break up the BNP event. Dozens of vehicles were burned on Saturday and Sunday, while authorities reported a total of 45 fires around the country over the weekend.

Arson and sporadic clashes between activists and police sowed panic among the public. On Sunday, when the BNP called a daylong hartal or shutdown of shops and businesses, many people holed up at home.

Police try to disperse supporters of the BNP during a rally in Dhaka on Oct. 28.   © Reuters

Since Saturday, police have arrested hundreds of BNP activists and raided the homes of almost all the party’s top leaders. As of Monday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said 36 cases had been filed, with 1,544 people suspected of involvement in the killing of a police officer, vandalism of public property and attacks on police.

Many BNP leaders and activists are now on the run, while police are reportedly rounding up family members, relatives and aides.

A number of foreign embassies in Dhaka have spoken out on the turmoil.

“The European Union and its member states in Dhaka are deeply saddened to see the loss of life and violence on the streets of Dhaka,” the EU said in a tweet. The post stressed it is “vital that a peaceful way forward for participatory and peaceful elections is found.”

On its Facebook page, the U.S. Embassy condemned the violence as “unacceptable.”

“We call for calm and restraint on all sides,” the message said, adding, “We will be reviewing all violent incidents for possible visa restrictions.”

On Monday, seven foreign diplomatic missions in Dhaka came together to issue a joint statement.

“We call on all stakeholders to exercise restraint, eschew violence and work together to create the conditions for free, fair, participatory and peaceful elections,” said the missions of Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Norway, the U.K. and the U.S.

Experts fear the events of the past few days mean the possibility of a negotiated settlement is fading fast, and that the government appears intent on using force to quell the political crisis.

“The behavior of the ruling party and the government has caused damage to whatever confidence people had on the possibility of a free, fair and inclusive election,” said Ali Riaz, distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University in the U.S.

“The return of violence in politics is detrimental to the opposition, as they are at the receiving end. Whether they have fallen into the government’s trap is a question as well,” he noted.

Prime Minister Hasina regularly denies allegations of authoritarianism. In an interview with Nikkei Asia earlier this year, she insisted she is “here to protect democracy.”

To counter the BNP’s nationwide blockade, the government has deployed the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh in Dhaka and also on highways to try to prevent obstructions. On Tuesday morning, commuters were still heading to work, but educational institutions had declared closures out of concern about possible dangerous incidents.

Riaz said that while the opposition might be on the back foot now, the hartal on Sunday should have sent a clear message that public discontent is high. But he added, “I am afraid that the country is heading toward a more uncertain time.”

The most likely scenario, he said, is more repression against the opposition and more violence. This would surely put Dhaka at odds with Washington, in particular, given the pressure President Joe Biden’s administration has already applied.

“There will be more pressure on the government from the international community,” Riaz predicted. “It’s the responsibility of the government to deliver safety and create a pathway for a free, fair and inclusive election. Unfortunately, the economy will suffer the most and common people will bear the brunt.”

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