Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party has been announced as a winner in the general election with a majority, the election commission stated early on Monday, as reported by AP.
An alliance dominated by Hasina’s Awami League won 288 seats in the country’s 300-strong parliament. The opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia only won six seats. Election to one seat was not held on Sunday, and the results for another seat were halted by the commission.
Helal Uddin Ahmed, secretary of the election commission stated, “My congratulations to the Awami League,” as quoted by Reuters.
Hasina’s party was widely anticipated to win the election which was hit by violence and rigging allegations.
At least 16 people were reported to have been killed in violence among the rival’s supporters.
Hasina, who is set to take office for the third and fourth consecutive times, is credited with improving the country’s economy, which grew at a faster rate than neighbouring India’s last year, and for giving refuge to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar. Yet, she has also been accused of suppressing the media as well as dissenters.
During the run-up to the election, opposition parties complained that the government crippled their ability to campaign by arresting scores of workers on “fictitious” charges.
