[5] 176 global leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joseph Stiglitz, issued a letter that claimed the election "lacked legitimacy".

The opposition demanded that the ruling Awami League party led by the current prime minister Sheikh Hasina amend the constitution, dissolve the parliament after their full five-year term ended on 24 January 2014, and then hand over power to a non-partisan interim government or a caretaker government that would be run by technocrats for 90 days.

[14] On 3 December 2013, Jatiya Party, led by former president Hussain Mohammad Ershad, also announced its intention to boycott the election.

European Union representatives met BNP leader Khaleda Zia and asked her not to boycott the election and to stop the strikes and shutdowns and instead resort to dialogue with the government.

[17] The opposition had also called for the government to resign so an interim non-partisan administration could lead the country through the election period.

[18] On the night of 4 December 2013, Jatiya Party leader H. M. Ershad threatened to kill himself after security forces besieged his home following his decision to boycott the election.

[2] The Bangladesh Army was deployed throughout the country on 26 December on the request of the election commission to maintain law and order.

Another person died in clashes between police and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters in Noakhali, while a driver was killed after the party's activists chased him down.

[22] On 29 December 2013 the BNP called for a "March for Democracy" towards Dhaka, in defiance of a police ban, to protest against the election.

[29][30] On 30 December, the 18-party opposition alliance announced a non-stop blockade of roads, railways and waterways across the country from 1 January 2014 in order to resist the scheduled election.

They set fire to over 100 centres in Lakshmipur, Rajshahi, Pirojpur, Sylhet, Jhenaidah, Natore, Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria.

[32][33] At least 18 people died in election day violence after security forces fired on protesters and opposition activists torched over 100 voting centres.

[4] BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists also attacked their Awami League counterparts and Hindus in eight villages under Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila leaving 15 people injured and their houses and shops vandalised and looted.

According to Human Rights Watch and US Department of State, Bangladesh police arrested "thousands" of opposition members.

[3] In another case, BNP vice president Hafizuddin Ahmed was arrested immediately after he urged "non-stop demonstrations" until the elections.

[3] Khaleda Zia was prevented from leaving her home to attend a rally on 26 December,[3] and kept under house arrest until the election.

[39] In 2013, ruling Awami League shut down TV stations and detained a prominent newspaper editor.

[41] As a result of the boycott, the election commission suggested that the Awami League had already secured victory in 127 of the 153 uncontested seats.

[47] Similarly, just prior to the election, an opinion poll indicated the incumbent Awami League would lose to the BNP in a direct contest.

They reported that the Awami League did have slightly more support than BNP, but acknowledged that the study's margin of error meant that the results were a "statistical dead heat".

"[48] Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu added that the turnout did not matter: "What is important is that the people defied violence.

Dhaka's The Daily Star featured an editorial that called the election in the country's history and that the Awami League won "a predictable and hollow victory, which gives it neither a mandate nor an ethical standing to govern effectively."