Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Set to Win Fourth Term as Election Marred by Violence
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is poised to win a fourth consecutive term, and her fifth overall, in the general election on Sunday. However, the election has been marred by violence and boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Voting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m., with initial results expected by early Monday. However, the country of 170 million people is facing criticism from rights groups, who say it is headed towards virtual one-party rule due to the BNP’s boycott.
The United States and Western nations, who are significant customers of Bangladesh’s garment industry, have called for a free and fair election. However, the BNP has accused the ruling Awami League of propping up “dummy” candidates as independents to make the election appear credible.
The BNP has called for a nationwide strike and asked people to boycott the poll. The opposition has also accused the government of instigating anti-government protests and has urged Prime Minister Hasina to resign and cede power to a neutral authority to run the election.
The situation ahead of the election is tenuous, with violence erupting on the eve of the vote. A passenger train fire, which the government claimed was arson, left at least four people dead, and several polling booths and institutions were set ablaze across the country.
Security forces are on high alert, as troops have fanned out across Bangladesh to maintain peace, and nearly 800,000 police, paramilitary, and police auxiliaries will guard polling booths on Sunday.
In her last 15 years in power, Hasina has been credited with improving Bangladesh’s economy and the garment industry. However, she has also faced criticism for authoritarianism, human rights violations, crackdowns on free speech, and suppression of dissent.
Meanwhile, the economy has seen a sharp slowdown since the Russia-Ukraine war, leading Bangladesh to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
The BNP’s main rival and two-time premier, Khaleda Zia, is effectively under house arrest on corruption charges, while her son, Tarique Rahman, is in exile and facing charges that he denies.
The outcome of the election is all but assured, and with a high risk of violence, turnout on Sunday could be low. The rest of the world awaits the results, which could have significant implications for the future of Bangladesh and its political landscape.