The World - News from Oct. 17, 1986

Lt. Gen. Hussain Mohammed Ershad claimed victory in Bangladesh’s presidential election amid charges of widespread ballot fraud as opposition parties held protest rallies in Dhaka, the capital. “I don’t have to rig the election to win the election,” Ershad told a news conference. The unofficial tally from Wednesday’s voting, boycotted by the main opposition parties and marred by clashes between police and crowds, several bombings and a one-day general strike, gave the president a nearly 15-to-1 lead over his nearest challenger. Ershad reiterated his pledge to lift the martial law he imposed after seizing power in a coup in 1982.