Bangladesh voters go to the polls amid opposition boycott

Voters line up outside a polling station in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Picture: Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP)

Voters in Bangladesh began casting their ballots as polls opened in an election fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, paving the way for prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League to seize a fourth consecutive term.

Authorities said at least 18 arson attacks were reported across the country since late Friday, with 10 of them targeting polling places.