Dhaka, Jan 8: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won an overwhelming majority in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election, giving her party – the Awami League – a fourth consecutive term, the media reported, citing an election official.
After an election campaign fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), it is confirmed as per several media reports that Hasina’s party has won 216 seats out of 299, Sky News reported.
“The ruling Awami League party has won more than 50 per cent of seats,” the official said.
A final official declaration on the outcome of the vote is expected by the Election Commission late Monday, Sky News reported. Around 40 per cent voted out of a total 120 million people who were eligible, according to Kazi Habibul Awal, the Chief Election Commissioner. Independent candidates took 52 parliamentary seats, while the Jatiya Party – the third largest in the country – took 11, according to local TV stations.
Hasina’s party has already crossed the majority mark and counting is still on. This will be her fifth term as Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Hasina’s government had arrested thousands of rival politicians ahead of the polls. The Opposition BNP led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia boycotted the polls. Zia, 78, is under house arrest after being convicted in a corruption case, Sky News reported.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hasina was re-elected to parliament from the Gopalganj-3 constituency.
According to a report by bdnews24, Hasina bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M. Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes.
India is a ‘great friend’: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said India is a ‘great friend’ of Bangladesh and the two neighbours have resolved many problems bilaterally, a day after she won an overwhelming majority in the general elections and secured a record fourth straight term.
The 76-year-old leader, who has been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009, secured a fifth overall term in the one-sided election on Sunday, which witnessed a low turnout. “India is a great friend of Bangladesh. They have supported us in 1971 and also in 1975. They gave shelter to me and my sister and my other family members,” she said, referring to her period in exile when she stayed in India for six years after the killing of her family members.
In August 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his wife and their three sons were assassinated in their home by military officers. His daughters Hasina and Rehana survived the purge as they were abroad.
“We consider India as our next-door neighbour. We had many problems but we resolved it bilaterally. So, I really appreciate that we have a wonderful relationship with India,” she said while responding to a question. (Agencies)
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