Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wins boycotted election marred by deadly clashes
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed won another fiveyear term in a boycotted election marred by violence that killed more than a dozen people, signalling further unrest in Asia’s fifth- most populous country.
Hasina’s Awami League won 229 parliamentary seats of 300 up for grabs in Sunday’s election, which was boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to unofficial results cited in the The Daily Star, the nation’s top selling English- language newspaper. Police in several areas shot dead protesters who tried to storm polling stations, while arson attacks also hindered voting.
“The election has shown how polarized Bangladesh politics is, and that instability is set to continue,” S. Chandrasekharan, director of the South Asia Analysis Group, a research organization based in New Delhi, said by phone.
Hasina faces the challenge of quelling the deadliest period of political unrest since the country’s founding in 1971 to avoid further disruptions in the world’s second- largest garment exporter.
Constant nationwide strikes by political opponents risk hurting an economy situated near India and China that is forecast to grow seven per cent in the next fiscal year.
Security forces shot dead at least 22 opposition supporters as they rallied against the polls throughout the country, said Osman Farooq, a BNP spokesman.
“Voter turnout was very low, which means people have shunned this farcical election,” Farooq said, adding that the party has extended a call to shut down public transport systems by another 48 hours.