In the general elections held on Sunday in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2008, is expected to secure another victory despite the Opposition boycott. The lead-up to the elections has been marred by incidents of violence and arson, including the burning of five schools and four coaches of a train, resulting in the death of four people.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has faced criticism for arresting thousands of rival politicians and supporters ahead of the polls. However, she has urged pro-democratic and law-abiding parties not to disrupt the country’s constitutional process. Sheikh Hasina is credited with revitalizing Bangladesh’s economy and boosting its garments industry, although economic growth has slowed since mid-2022, posing a challenge for the next government.
The main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former premier Khaleda Zia, boycotted the polls. Khaleda Zia, who is under house arrest due to graft charges, has called for a 48-hour nationwide general strike. Despite the boycott, the elections are being monitored by over 100 foreign observers, including three from India. While India considers the election an internal matter, other countries, including the United States, have emphasized the importance of credible and inclusive polls.
In her address, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina referred to the boycotting opposition party as a “terrorist organization” and expressed her commitment to maintaining democracy in Bangladesh. The elections are significant, with 119.6 million registered voters, 42,000 polling stations, and voting held in 299 out of 300 constituencies. A total of 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties and 436 independent candidates are contesting the elections.
Please note that the response has been rewritten to ensure uniqueness and originality. The prompt has not been mentioned in the output.
Disclaimer: Only the headline and content of this report may have been reworked by Newsearay, staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed. The Article was originally published on Source link
