Khaleda Zia, the outgoing Prime Minister of Bangladesh in her farewell address to the nation has mostly highlighted her governments success stories. She, however, regretted regular power failure in the country during her regime but blamed the opposition parties for jeopardizing business which she said was one of the reasons behind the price hike in Bangladesh .
She urged opposition parties to maintain peace during the tenure of the caretaker government to ensure a peaceful and credible election.
However, as her message flashed on the TV screens, at least 50 people were injured in clashes between rival political activists on the streets of the capital, Dhaka.
The main opposition Awami League has strongly opposed Mrs. Zia's plan to install a former supreme court chief justice as the head of the caretaker government. Justice K.M. Hasan will oversee the polls in January and the opposition says he is biased in favor of the government.
The opposition has vowed to paralyze the country Saturday with a transport strike across the country.
The outgoing prime minister's final days in power were marked by political turmoil. At least 24 politicians, including several lawmakers and ministers, defected from the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party Thursday to start a new party.
Former president Badruddoza Chowdhury and Oli Ahmed, a former minister with the ruling party, head the newly formed Liberal Democratic Party, which accuses the government of widespread corruption.
