Bangladesh's ruling party wins parliamentary elections
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Bangladesh's ruling party, Awami League, wins the elections with an overwhelming majority of 233 seats out of 299.
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People stand next to a campaign poster of the ruling party during parliamentary election in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, January 7, 2024. (AP)
Bangladeshi media revealed on Monday the preliminary vote count outcome after the general election that took place on January 7, as 233 seats in the country's parliament were won by the ruling Awami League.
The Bangladeshi parliament is composed of a total of 350 seats, 50 of which are strictly for women leaving 299 seats for the election. Noting that one constituency needs to be filled later following the death of electoral candidate Aminul Haque.
With this win, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's term has been renewed for a fifth time since 2009. The Dhaka Tribune reported that 249,965 votes were in favor of Sheikh Hasina drastically outwinning her nearest rival, Atiqur Rahman, who has 6,999 votes, and Mahabur Mollah with 425 votes.
By mid-day, only 18.5% of registered voters had cast their ballots.
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal stated that the vote turnout stood at 40%, but many have doubted this number.
Bangladesh election marred by violence and opposition boycott
Reports of violence surfaced in 37 regions across the country in the months leading up to the elections.
Abdul Moin Khan, a Standing Committee member of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), denounced the election as a charade to the nation. He asserted that the low turnout is indicative of the flawed process.
"The BNP is a terrorist organization," Sheikh Hasina told reporters after casting her vote.
The ruling Awami League party and its ally Jatiya Party nominated candidates for the elections, while the primary opposition BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami party refused to file any nominations and opted for a boycott. It is important to note that security measures during the vote on January 7 were extremely high as a result of the protests by the opposition forces and the loss of 15 lives prior.
