Sheikh Hasina on course to be Bangla PM for third straight term despite ISI designs

NEW DELHI: Sheikh Hasina led-Awami League appears to be on course to a landslide victory in Sunday's parliamentary polls in Bangladesh despite ISI's alleged ploy to unseat the government that had taken ties with India at a new level during the past the decade.

Awami League won 121 seats declared so far and leading in another 100 seats with Opposition BNP winning only two seats. Polling was held for 299 out of 300 seats in Bangladesh's Parliament or Jayita Sangsad.

Prominent winners included PM Hasina herself besides all leading members of her cabinet.


Voting percentage was in the range of 70%. In urban and rural area, first time voters and women formed large queues since morning to cast their votes.

There are reports of about 15 people killed on polling day violence from different parts of country. Among them, 8 were from ruling Awami League two Bangladesh National Party, one Jaatiya Party, one Ansar (Home Guard). Three died were not identified so far. The deaths are less than those in previous elections (21 in 2014 and 2008; and 52 in 2001).

During the polling, about 50 BNP candidates and all Jamaat candidates announced withdrawal from the polls. This was more a technical announcement without affecting the poll process. Despite this, more than 230 opposition candidates were in the fray until the end of the polling process.

Ruling Awami League amid ISI's efforts to influence elections through Opposition BNP had the edge as PM Sheikh Hasina expressed confidence on Sunday morning about her victory to run government for third straight term.

Opinion polls show Hasina, who has presided over impressive economic growth that would elevate Bangladesh to middle income country status, heading for a comfortable victory.

Hasina's decade long rule has witnessed unprecedented counter-terror partnership with Delhi and pathbreacking connectivity intiatives for India's Act East Policy.

Some 600,000 security personnel were deployed across Bangladesh, including at 40,000 polling stations where voters cast ballots in the country's 11th parliamentary election since independence in 1971.
“The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami alliance realised their defeat is confirmed and are therefore choosing terror and violence. At least five leaders and activists of the Awami League have been killed on the eve of the election in attacks by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami,” said Jahangir Kabir Nanak, joint general secretary of the Awami League, in a press briefing on Sunday.

The election had begun in a festive atmosphere throughout the country and voters were participating in it peacefully, claim the Awami League leader Nanak.

Indian election observers who are in Dhaka at the invite of the government stated that election was conducted in a 'calm and serene manner'. 11 people have been killed in eight districts in violence tied to the election. Bangladesh CEC KM Nurul Huda claimed that polls are largely ‘peaceful’ aside from ‘one or two isolated incidents’.

“We have visited a number of polling stations and as far as the perception goes there was calm, serene ambiance in the polling stations,” Aariz Aftab, chief electoral officer, West Bengal, told reporters at the end of the elections.

“We definitely feel that there has been meticulous planning as far as the Bangladesh Election Commission is concern,” he said.

The Bangladesh Election Commission and the Indian Election Commission have “a long standing cooperation and cordial relationship”.