Dhaka, Jan. 3 -- Bangladesh's ruling party held a campaign rally in Dhaka on Monday, ahead of general elections scheduled on Jan. 7 that the country's main opposition party is boycotting.

The nation of nearly 170 million people will vote this coming Sunday in an election that many expect will give the ruling Awami League its fourth straight parliamentary term and a resounding victory for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009.

The country's main opposition parties are boycotting the upcoming election as Hasina rejected demands to step down and allow the polls to be held under a neutral interim government. The candidates on Sunday's ballot will all be from the Awami League, its allies or independents.

"There's no...