Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote today, Sunday, shortly after polling stations opened in the general elections, which are being boycotted by the main opposition party. The ruling Awami League party is expected to secure a fourth consecutive term in power. At least four people were killed late Friday in a fire on a passenger train, which the government claimed was deliberate, following the arson of several polling stations, schools, and a Buddhist monastery just days before the elections.
However, there were no reports of violence on voting day, as nearly 800,000 security personnel were deployed to guard polling stations, with the assistance of the army across the country. Hasina voted alongside her daughter and other family members in the capital Dhaka shortly after polling began at 8 AM (02:00 GMT). The voting process lasts for eight hours, followed by vote counting, and preliminary results are expected to emerge by early Monday.
After voting, Hasina stated, "Bangladesh is a sovereign country, and the people are my strength," expressing hope that her party would win the people's mandate. Human rights organizations have indicated that the country, with a population of 170 million, is effectively moving towards single-party rule after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and some smaller allied parties boycotted these elections.
Around 120 million eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their votes in a direct election for 300 parliamentary seats among nearly 2,000 candidates. There are 436 independent candidates, the largest number since 2001.
Witnesses from Reuters reported that voter turnout was low during the early hours due to cold and fog in the winter morning but increased later, with voters queuing outside polling stations. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party claims that the Awami League is backing fake independent candidates in an attempt to make the elections appear credible, a claim that the ruling party denies.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which also boycotted the 2014 elections but participated in 2018, has urged voters to abstain from voting and called for a nationwide two-day strike beginning Saturday. Sheikh Hasina has accused the opposition of inciting anti-government protests that have shaken Dhaka since late October, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people.
Over the past 15 years, Sheikh Hasina, 76, has been credited with transforming Bangladesh's economy and garment industry, but critics also accuse her of authoritarianism, human rights violations, and suppressing freedom of expression and opposition.
