Bangladesh Elections Voting LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party, Awami League, won a fourth consecutive and fifth overall term in the 7 January general election after the main opposition, Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), boycotted the polls.
While counting is still underway, the incumbent Awami League has won 200 seats in the 300-seat Parliament, according to PTI.
The Bangladesh polls officially came to a close at 4 pm local time (3:30 pm IST) on Sunday, 7 January, with a meagre 40 percent voter turnout being recorded. The region saw incidents of political unrest leading to Sunday’s general election with polling booths were set ablaze on the eve of the vote, and four people, including two children, being killed in an arson-related train fire.
Meanwhile, a few media outlets reported incidents of ballot stuffing and violence, including an incident where two individuals were shot after a scuffle.
Former PM Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has boycotted the elections after Hasina refused to step down and allow a caretaker government to take over.
The BNP called for a 48-hour nationwide general strike starting Saturday , demanding the resignation of the "illegal government" of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and protesting against the 7 January general election.
Foreign and local journalists wait in a queue to enter Dhaka City College where Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina casted her vote in Dhaka
(Photo: AP/PTI)
Voting concluded at 4 pm (3:30 pm IST). The counting of votes is expected to begin soon after, but initial results are expected to begin rolling in on Monday.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League has "won the election", an Election Commission spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Rights organisations have raised alarms about a series of measures undertaken by Hasina to suppress the Opposition in recent months.
The government had reportedly deployed Armed forces, to the effect of nearly 750,000 police, paramilitary and auxiliaries of the police till 10 January as tensions spiked across Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan won a seat in the country's parliament after a landslide victory in the election.
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma conveyed, on behalf of the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warm greetings and congratulations to to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on her victory in the election.
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Indian Envoy Congratulates PM Hasina on Behalf of Modi Govt
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma conveyed, on behalf of the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warm greetings and congratulations to to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on her victory in the election.
Verma expressed hope that during the new term of her government, there will be even stronger momentum and growth in the bilateral partnership in support of each other’s national development, news agency ANI reported.
Landslide Victory for Cricket Captain Shakib Al Hasan
District's chief administrator Abu Naser Beg said that the 36-year beat his rival by a margin of more than 150,000 votes in the Magura-1 constituency.
'Awami League Has Won the Election': EC Spokesperson
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League has "won the election", an Election Commission spokesperson was quoted as saying by news agency AFP in the early hours of Monday morning, 8 January.
However, an official announcement by the country's Election Commission is yet to be made.
Awami League Wins Over Two Thirds of Seats: PTI
While counting is still underway, the PM Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League has won 200 seats in the 300-seat Parliament, according to PTI.