In the general elections held on Sunday in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s Awami League party has achieved a decisive victory, as reported by the Election Commission officials. The election witnessed a voter turnout of approximately 40%, marking a significant decrease from the over 80% turnout seen in the 2018 elections.
The opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), along with several other parties, boycotted the elections, denouncing them as ‘rigged.’ This boycott contributed to the lower voter engagement and paved the way for the Awami League’s victory, ushering in Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s fifth term as Prime Minister.
While the Election Commission has been slow in releasing the final results, TV stations with networks of journalists across the country have reported that the Awami League won at least 220 out of the 299 parliamentary seats. Independent candidates secured 52 seats, and the Jatiya Party, the country’s third largest, won 11 seats.
The BNP, led by former premier Khaleda Zia, has refused to accept the election outcome, claiming the government conducted a one-sided election that voters have rejected.
Sheikh Hasina Wajed, after casting her vote, condemned the BNP, referring to it as a ‘terrorist organization.’ She reiterated her commitment to preserving democracy in Bangladesh and urged citizens to have faith in the democratic process.
Notable among the election winners is Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain of the Bangladesh cricket team, who contested as a candidate for the Awami League. Another significant win was secured by Musharraf Bin Murtaza.
Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Habib highlighted the low voter turnout, a stark contrast to the higher engagement in previous elections. This drop in voter participation has sparked concern and debate among political analysts and the public.
The voting was conducted at more than 42,000 voting centers, with over 261,000 polling booths operational from 8 am to 4 pm. The total number of parliamentary seats contested in the election was 299.