The 7 January general election in Bangladesh witnessed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party, Awami League, securing their fourth consecutive and fifth overall term. The main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Khaleda Zia, boycotted the polls.
As per PTI, the incumbent Awami League has won 200 out of the 300 seats in the Parliament, with the counting still in progress. The voting concluded at 4 pm local time (3:30 pm IST) on Sunday, 7 January, with a low voter turnout of only 40 percent. The region experienced political unrest, including incidents of polling booths being set on fire and a train fire resulting in the loss of four lives, including two children.
In the meantime, several media organizations have documented cases of ballot tampering and acts of aggression, such as an altercation that resulted in two individuals being shot.
Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s refusal to step down and permit a transitional government to assume control, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former PM Khaleda Zia has chosen to boycott the elections.
To express their discontent with the “illegitimate government” of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and to protest against the general election held on 7 January, the BNP has called for a nationwide general strike lasting 48 hours, commencing on Saturday.
The Indian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, extended warm wishes and felicitations to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on her triumph in the election, on behalf of the Indian Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Verma expressed optimism that the bilateral partnership between the two nations would witness enhanced momentum and progress in the forthcoming tenure of her government, with a shared commitment towards national development. This was reported by news agency ANI.