Bangladesh opposition launches protest march over energy crisis

A significant protest march took place in Bangladesh on Saturday, as opposition supporters marched from Dhaka to Chittagong to voice their dissatisfaction with the government's handling of a severe energy crisis. This marks the first major street demonstration against the ruling coalition, which assumed power in the South Asian nation of 170 million people roughly six months ago.

Demonstrators, carrying banners and chanting slogans, began their journey from a public square in Dhaka and planned rallies along the route to the port city of Chittagong. The opposition leader, Shafiqur Rahman, urged supporters to ensure every household has access to cooking gas and electricity. The crisis has been attributed in part to the ongoing Middle East war and has raised questions about the government's response.

The protest occurred a day after the arrest of a college student who had criticized senior government officials over exorbitant electricity bills, raising concerns about the government's intolerance of dissent. Opposition figures, such as Akhter Hossen of the National Citizen Party, denounced the crackdown, stating that the government had failed to supply gas, electricity, and fertilizers and was preventing people from expressing their grievances.