Ruling party wins landslide victory as opposition stays away from Bangladesh election

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League party has won a landslide victory in the Jan. 7 general election amid boycott by the opposition parties.

The Bangladesh Election Commission on Monday announced the unofficial results of 298 of the country's 300 parliamentary seats.

Of the total, the ruling Awami League party won 223 seats, its ally Jatiya Party 11, independent candidates won 61 seats and the rest were bagged by other parties.

Most of the independent candidates who contested the election were also ruling Awami League party supporters.

Elections on two seats were suspended due to the death of an independent candidate and the cancellation of voting in one center.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said the commission has revised the voter turnout to 41.8% from the earlier 40% out of 120 million registered voters.

“If anyone has any complaint against the result, they can appeal before the court till Jan. 31,” he added.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the new Cabinet would be formed by Jan. 15.

The 2014 national election, also boycotted by the opposition parties, saw about 40% voter turnout while the 2018 election saw over 80% voter turnout.

The opposition parties led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), its ally Jamaat-e-Islami party, and others boycotted the election.

BNP Standing Committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan Monday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the cancellation of the "dummy election" and the holding of a new poll under a neutral caretaker system.

The government repeatedly rejected the demand for the system that was abolished in parliament in 2011.

Since political unrest erupted in late October, at least 27 supporters of the opposition have been killed, as well as a journalist and a policeman. More than 27,200 BNP supporters have so far been arrested and over 1,290 others have been handed jail terms with over 100,400 sued in police cases, according to BNP figures.

At least 27 candidates walked out in the middle of the election.

Meanwhile, a total of 140 incidents of irregularities were reported in the elections across the country and some 42 people have been arrested in these incidents, said the Election Commission.