Today is a black day for Bangladesh: BNP

Dhaka: Terming it as a black day for Bangladesh, the main opposition BNP on Monday questioned the legitimacy of the new government led by Sheikh Hasina.

"Today is a black day for Bangladesh," Bangladesh Nationalist Party`s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam said in a statement. The BNP along with its allies had boycotted the January 5 polls which were marred by violence and saw a low turnout. "A scandalous journey of autocratic dictatorship has started by suppressing the democratic spirit," Islam said and asked the ruling Awami League to quit immediately and hand over power to a non-party caretaker administration for holding a free, fair election with the participation of all parties. BNP boycotted the polls over its dispute with the government on the nature of poll-time government. It had demanded the polls to be overseen by a neutral non-party which was rejected by the League. This is Hasina`s third term as prime minister. She also served as premier during 1996-2001. Hasina and her 48-member council of ministers took oath of office yesterday. Besides the 66-year-old Awami League chief, 29 lawmakers took oath as Cabinet ministers while 17 MPs were appointed as ministers of state and two as deputy ministers. Leaders of the BNP did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. The Awami League won over two-thirds of 300 seats in parliament in the polls, which were described as a farce by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance. The opposition led by former premier Khaleda Zia tried to derail the polls by calling strikes and blockades. Over 160 people were killed in poll-related violence since November.