Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Bangladesh Awami League, Sunday won controversial general elections marred by violence.
However, the Opposition rejected the poll outcome.
“We reject the farcical election, and want the election commission to hold a fresh election under a non-partisan administration,” said Kamal Hossain addressing a press conference. Hossain was heading Jatiya Oikya Front -- the umbrella coalition formed by Opposition parties, headed by BNP. “We ask that you cancel this election right away,” Hossain urged the election commission claiming “we have reports that fraudulence took place in almost all centres”.
The local media said that Hasina’s ruling Awami League party easily crossed the 151 seats needed to form a majority government, according to local TV station Channel 24.
The Awami League and its allies had won 191 seats, said reports. While the Opposition coalition, which has called the results as “farcical”, managed only five seats.
Earlier, voting for the crucial Bangladesh national elections 2018 began across the 300 parliamentary constituencies of the nation on Sunday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League (AL) is ruling the nation since 2009, is eyeing for a record third term. The entire Opposition, led by jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh National Party (BNP), has united for what they have called a “fight to save democracy”.
In the evening, the Election Commission announced Hasina’s victory from Gopalgunj-3 constituency by a landslide, bagging 229,539 votes while her main BNP opponent could manage just 123.
The election process was marred by violence as at least 17 people were killed in clashes after a bloody campaign overshadowed by a crackdown on the opposition by Hasina who is expected to win a historic but controversial fourth term.
Three men were shot by police while six others died in clashes between activists from the ruling Bangladesh Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), police said. An auxiliary police member was killed after being attacked by opposition activists armed with guns and sticks, according to officials.
Bangladesh’s leader has been lauded for boosting economic growth in the poor Asian nation during an unbroken decade in power and for welcoming Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar.
But critics accuse her of authoritarianism and crippling the opposition — including arch-rival Khaleda Zia who is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges — to cling on to power.
Reacting to the verdict, Bangladesh’s opposition NUF alliance, with jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s BNP as its key partner, demanded fresh polls under a neutral caretaker government. The National Unity Front (NUF) is a coalition of parties including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Nagorik Oikya and Krishak Sramik Janata League.
While the elections are being held in 294 constituencies using ballot paper, a total of six constituencies are contested through the electronic voting machines or EVMs -- a first in Bangladesh’s electoral history.
The total number of candidates in the elections amount to 1,841, who are contesting across the 300 directly elected seats. Another 50 seats in the Parliament, referred in Bangladesh as Jatiya Sangsad, is reserved for women who are nominated by the political parties on proportional vote share system.
For the smooth conduct of the elections, the polling body had deployed over 6 lakh security personnel, including the army, to guard the 40,199 voting stations. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Saturday instructed the forces to take stringent action against political workers resorting to violence.
In the last polls, Khaleda Zia’s BNP, along with a slew of other Opposition parties, had boycotted the polls alleging mass rigging by the ruling Awami League.
The boycott allowed Sheikh Hasina to register a victory with brute mandate. The Awami League won 234 of the 300 seats -- out of which, 153 seats were bagged without a contest.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who steered the party in Zia’s absence and won from his northeastern constituency, described the polls as a “cruel farce”. “This has caused long-term damage to the country...the nation has incurred huge damage,” he said.
BNP spokesman Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal told reporters there were “irregularities” in 221 of the 300 seats contested. Its Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami said it would reject the results.
“Voters are not allowed to enter booths. Especially women voters are being forced to vote for the boat,” Alal said, referring to the Awami Lague symbol.
Bangladesh election commission spokesman SM Asaduzzaman said the body had “received a few allegations of irregularities” and was investigating.
Authorities ordered mobile operators to shut down high speed internet services until midnight Sunday “to prevent the spread of rumours” that could trigger unrest. One independent television news channel complained that its broadcasts were blocked.
Voting in the capital Dhaka was largely peaceful as convoys of soldiers and paramilitary forces were on the streets where most traffic was banned.
Tags:
POLITICS