New Delhi: Counting of votes began on Sunday after the polling led to Bangladesh’s normal elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the principle opposition BNP and its allies, paving the best way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to safe a report fourth straight time period. In line with the preliminary estimates, the voter turnout was round 40 per cent however the determine may change after the ultimate depend, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal mentioned.
An hour earlier than the voting ended, the election fee had mentioned that the voter turnout was 27.15% at three p.m. The 2018 normal election recorded an total turnout of greater than 80 per cent. “The voting ended at four pm and the counting has began,” an election fee spokesman mentioned, including that the outcomes had been anticipated by early Monday.
He mentioned that aside from some sporadic incidents of violence, the voting was largely peaceable in 299 of the 300 constituencies. The Fee suspended polling in a single seat due to the dying of a candidate. The early outcomes present that Awami League is main the electoral race. Up to now, unofficially, Awami League has received in 10 constituencies, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
The election fee cancelled the candidature of a ruling Awami League candidate in northeastern Chattogram on the fag-end of the voting hours as he “scolded and threatened” a police officer. The event left the polls within the constituency to be contested by two insurgent candidates who belong to the ruling celebration as properly.
The voter turnout was low because the ailing jailed ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering (BNP) stayed away from the polls asking folks to boycott it. The celebration alleged that no election beneath the present authorities can be truthful and credible.
The standard election-day fervour was nowhere to be seen. Even in entrance of the election marketing campaign cubicles, there was no presence of voters besides the ruling party-backed supporters and election brokers.
Voters solid their votes with none disruption within the absence of lengthy queues, leaving presiding officers with idle time.
Voting was cancelled at three centres — one in Narsingdi and two in Narayanganj. The Election Fee ordered the arrest of Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun’s son on expenses of electoral fraud in Narsingdi, in accordance with experiences.
Photographs had been fired throughout a conflict between supporters of two candidates working for the Chattogram-10 seat. Two folks – Shanto Barua, 24, and Jamal, 35 – had been shot and brought to Chattogram Medical Faculty Hospital.
Two folks had been injured after a conflict between supporters of the Awami League candidate and an impartial candidate at a polling centre in Jamalpur’s Sharishabari. 4 individuals, together with a baby, had been injured after two crude bombs exploded close to a voting centre in Dhaka’s Hazaribagh.
A complete of 119.6 million registered voters had been eligible to vote at Sunday’s polls in additional than 42,000 polling stations, in accordance with the nation’s Election Fee. Greater than 1,500 candidates from 27 political events had been contesting within the election, moreover 436 impartial candidates.
Over 100 international observers, together with three from India, monitored the 12th normal election, which is being held beneath tight safety. Greater than 7.5 lakh members of regulation enforcement companies and safety forces have been deployed to make sure regulation and order throughout the polls.
Prime Minister Hasina solid her vote at Dhaka Metropolis Faculty polling centre quickly after the voting began. Her daughter Saima Wazed accompanied her. Hasina, 76, has been in energy since 2009 and her Awami League received the final election in December 2018. She is ready to safe a fourth consecutive time period as prime minister and a fifth total time period within the one-sided election.
“Polling within the nation is happening very properly. I hope all of the folks will come to vote and set up their rights. Keep the democratic move within the nation and work for the socio-economic improvement of individuals,” Hasina informed reporters after casting her vote.
She alleged that the opposition BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance doesn’t consider in democracy. “Folks will vote as they want. And we had been in a position to create that voting atmosphere. Though the BNP-Jamaat alliance has precipitated many incidents, together with arson assaults,” she mentioned. In response to a query, Hasina informed reporters that India is a “trusted good friend” of Bangladesh.
“We’re very fortunate…India is our trusted good friend. Throughout our Liberation Warfare, they supported us not solely that after 1975, once we misplaced our complete household – father, mom, brothers, everybody (in a navy coup) – and solely we two (Hasina and her youthful sister Rehana) survived… they gave us shelter. So, we’ve got our greatest needs to the folks of India,” she informed reporters.
In August 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, his spouse and their three sons had been assassinated of their dwelling by navy officers. His daughters Hasina and Rehana survived the purge as they had been overseas. In response to a query on how acceptable the election can be whereas the BNP is boycotting it, Hasina mentioned that her accountability is in direction of the folks.
“Whether or not folks settle for this election or not it is very important me. So, I do not care about their (international media) acceptance. It doesn’t matter what did the terrorist celebration say or not?” she mentioned.
Hasina’s ruling Awami League (AL) is predicted to win the election because the BNP of former premier Khaleda Zia, 78, who’s beneath home arrest as a convict of graft expenses, boycotted the polls. The BNP boycotted the 2014 election however joined the one in 2018.
The 27 political events that contested the elections embrace the opposition Jatiya Social gathering (JAPA). The remaining are members of the ruling Awami League-led coalition, which specialists dub as “satellite tv for pc events.”
The BNP is observing a 48-hour nationwide normal strike which started at 6 am on Saturday and can finish at 6 am on Monday. It had known as upon voters to shun the election to mark the start of an finish of what it calls a “fascist authorities.” Fifteen different political events additionally boycotted the election.
The ruling celebration did every little thing it may to make the election look participatory and aggressive. It allowed celebration leaders to hitch the polls in droves as “impartial” candidates. In consequence, in each seat, two or extra AL candidates are pitted towards one another. Former Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Sakhawat Hussain termed Sunday’s polls a singular one in comparison with the earlier two elections.
“This time the election is happening between candidates from the identical celebration within the title of independents and dummies. In consequence, voters are much less within the polls,” mentioned Sakhawat. “So, it’s a distinctive mannequin election … Outcomes of the election are sure, all people is aware of who’s going to win. The one unsure factor is who can be within the opposition bench,” he added.
