In Bangladesh, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka on Saturday ahead of a general election slated for early in the new year. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It says a fair vote is impossible under her administration.

The BNP accuses Hasina's government of harassing its members in the run-up to the national parliamentary election scheduled for January 7. The latest demonstration passed off peacefully, but that wasn't the case in October, when violence broke out at opposition rallies. Protesters clashed with security forces and torched buildings and cars, leaving hundreds injured. Thousands of BNP leaders and supporters have been arrested or jailed.

Hasina is seeking a fifth term. She has repeatedly rebuffed opposition calls to resign. The chief election commissioner says the army will be deployed to maintain law and order in the period around the vote.

The BNP is boycotting the election. The party is calling for a nationwide strike Tuesday at shops and public transportation. The UN says the election must be free and fair so that every Bangladeshi can vote, free of intimidation or repercussions.