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PremiumBangladesh Elections 2024 Live Updates: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won the re-election for a fifth term in the national election that were conducted on Sunday amidst the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former PM Khaleda Zia, who is currently in jail.
Sheikh Hasina's party Awami League has won a fourth consecutive term in the 12th parliamentary election, marking the second lowest voter turnout since the reinstatement of democracy in 1991, according to the Daily Star.
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India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma during his call on to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina conveyed, on behalf of the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, warm greetings and congratulations to her on her election victory. He expressed hope that during the new term of her government, there will be even stronger momentum and growth in the bilateral partnership in support of each other’s national development: Sources to ANI
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won a fifth term in power with her party taking three-quarters of seats in parliament, election officials said Monday after polls boycotted by the opposition as a "sham".
"The Awami League has won the election," said Moniruzzaman Talukder, a joint secretary of the Election Commission a day after a vote boycotted by the opposition, with initial reports suggesting a meagre turnout of some 40 percent.
Talukder said Hasina's party had won 223 seats, but support of other lawmakers including from allied parties, means Hasina's actual control over the 300 seat parliament is even higher, analysts said.
"This is a one-party parliament," Ali Riaz of Illinois State University told AFP, adding that "only the allies of the Awami League had the opportunity to participate".
As opposition outcry, strikes, and bans erupt in the run-up to the Bangladesh elections, wherein incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking a fourth consecutive, and a fifth overall term in office, a nation of 170 million people prepare for Bangladesh's country’s 12th general election.
“With political arrests, atrocities & other human rights violations, Sheikh Hasina declared her victory in the Bangladesh 🇧🇩 elections. Elections do not take place without opposition, it was only referendum. Int'l community will not recognize it as election," said, Muhammed Faisal, an X user.
The Bangladesh PM retains her title as the world’s longest-serving female head of government after her party swept more than half of the parliament seats.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won re-election for a fifth term Sunday, officials said, following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation".
Hasina's ruling Awami League "has won the election", an Election Commission spokesman told AFP in the early hours of Monday morning, after a vote that initial reports suggested had a meagre turnout of some 40 percent.
She has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has won an overwhelming majority in Bangladesh's parliamentary election after a campaign fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, giving her and her Awami League a fourth consecutive term.
While the Election Commission has been slow to announce the results of Sunday's election, TV stations with networks of journalists across the country reported that the Awami League won 216 seats out of 299. Independent candidates took 52, while the Jatiya Party, the third largest in the country, took 11 seats. The results for the rest of the constituencies were still coming in late on Sunday night.
The election was held in 299 out of 300 parliamentary seats. In one seat, the election was postponed as required by law after an independent candidate died.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took an unassailable lead for a fifth term in office Sunday, winning at least 60 percent of seats in parliament, media reported.
Of the three-quarters of results announced -- 225 seats from a total 300 -- Hasina's Awami League had won 172 and her allied Jatiya Party eight more, according to results collated by Somoy TV, the country's largest private news broadcaster. Counting continues.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which boycotted Sunday's general elections, said it plans to intensify its anti-government movement through a peaceful public engagement programme from Tuesday as it dubbed the polls as "fake."
In the meantime, the country's main opposition party's leaders at various levels are performing their duties in monitoring the situation after the elections.
The outcome of the election due to be held in Bangladesh on January 7th is not uncertain. Sheikh Hasina, who has governed the South Asian country since 2009, has made sure that only she can win.
Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina was re-elected to parliament on Sunday from the Gopalganj-3 constituency after a landslide victory in the general elections marred by sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Hasina, 76, bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes, bdnews24 reported.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina looked certain Sunday to win a fifth term in office following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation", as partial results pointed to an overwhelming victory.
Hasina has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown.
A voter puts their fingerprint on the ballot paper before casting a vote during the 12th general election in Dhaka
An elderly woman puts ballot paper inside a ballot box after casting her vote in the morning during the 12th general election in Dhaka
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is on course to extend her rule and retain her title as the world’s longest serving female head of government after polling closed in an election boycotted by her rivals and voters.
Hasina’s Awami League Party is expected to take the lead when early results trickle in and the Election Commission has put the turnout at about 40%. It’s a sharp drop from the 80% participation in polls in 2018, as voters heeded a campaign by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to shun the election and draw attention to the sweeping crackdown her government carried out in the run up to the polls.
The counting of votes has begun in Bangladesh as polling for the 12th Parliamentary elections in the country ended on Sunday, with 27 per cent votes cast till 3 pm (local time), the Dhaka Tribune reported.
The voting began at 8 am at 261,912 polling stations in 42,024 voting centres and continued until 4 pm.
Thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been left without shelter after a suspected arson attack ripped through their camp burning nearly 800 homes, an official said Sunday.
Bangladesh is home to around a million Rohingya, many of whom fled a 2017 military crackdown on the mainly Muslim minority in neighbouring Myanmar that is now subject to a UN genocide probe.
Vote counting was underway Sunday in Bangladesh's parliamentary election that was fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, paving the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League to seize a fourth consecutive term.
At least 18 arson attacks preceded the vote but the election day passed relatively calm. Turnout was around 40%, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said after the polls closed.
Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) did not participate in the parliamentary elections because it knew that it would lose, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday.
“The BNP has taken a strategy of boycotting the election with various excuses, various demands. They participated in the 2018 election and got some parliamentary seats, but this year they did not participate knowing they would be defeated," Khan, a senior leader of the ruling Awami League, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.
Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the polls in a general election on Sunday set to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fourth straight term, after a vote boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by violence.
Rights groups have warned of virtual one-party rule by Hasina's Awami League in the South Asian country of 170 million people after the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and some smaller allies.
Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies.
According to the initial estimates, the voter turnout was around 40 per cent but the figure could change after the final count, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said.
An hour before the voting ended, the election commission had said that the voter turnout was 27.15% at 3 p.m. The 2018 general election recorded an overall turnout of more than 80 per cent.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, did not participate in the parliamentary election because it knew that it would lose, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday.
“The BNP has taken a strategy of boycotting the election with various excuses, various demands. They participated in the 2018 election and got some parliamentary seats, but this year they did not participate knowing they would be defeated," Khan, a senior leader of tej ruling Awami League, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.
A fire swept through a Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh in the early hours of Sunday, destroying about 800 shelters and rendering thousands homeless, officials said.
Fire service officials and Rohingya volunteers brought the blaze under control around three hours after it hit Camp 5 in Cox's Bazar, a border district with Myanmar, shortly before 1 a.m. (1900 GMT).
India and Bangladesh share 4,096-km long border and an “excellent state of bilateral relations, based on deep historical and fraternal ties…" Here's a deep dive into Indo-Bangladesh relationship and why national elections in Bangladesh matters to India.
Bangladesh election officials began counting votes Sunday after polls guaranteed to give a fifth term in office to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina closed, following a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation".
Hasina has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown.
Voters in Bangladesh cast ballots Sunday in a parliamentary election fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, paving the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League to seize a fourth consecutive term.
Days of violence including at least 18 arson attacks preceded the vote but the election day passed relatively calm. One hour before the voting closed, turnout was only 27.15%, said the Election Commission.
Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid sporadic violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies.
The turnout for the 12th national parliamentary election has only been 27.15 per cent as of 3 pm, Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said.
Bangladesh is voting in its 16th general assembly elections on Sunday. Many experts are seeing the ongoing elections in the country as a gateway for Sheikh Hasina to secure her fifth consecutive term as Prime Minister.
Bangladesh was voting Sunday in an election guaranteed to give a fifth term in office to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, after a boycott led by an opposition party she branded a "terrorist organisation".
Hasina has presided over breakneck economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused of rampant human rights abuses and a ruthless opposition crackdown.
Bangladesh began voting for its general elections early today January 6, amid pre-poll violence and opposition calls for a boycott of the incumbent government and its candidate, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Notably, however, Hasina looks set to win a fifth term, and fourth consecutive clean sweep in the country, amid a lack of a significant rival option.
Voters in Bangladesh cast their ballots Sunday as polls opened in a parliamentary election fraught with violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, paving the way for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League to seize a fourth consecutive term.
Authorities said at least 18 arson attacks were reported across the country since late Friday, with 10 of them targeting polling places. Four people died Friday in an arson attack on a passenger train heading toward the capital, Dhaka. The incidents have intensified tensions ahead of the parliamentary elections that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allied groups said they would shun.
Bangladesh voters participated in the general elections in large numbers on Sunday, exuding confidence in the incumbent Awami League-led government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The voters said that there will not be any impact from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as people are not with them, but with the progress that the country has witnessed in the last 15 years.
Bangladeshis on Sunday turned up in low numbers to cast their votes for the general elections likely to be won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth straight term, amid pre-poll violence and a boycott by the main opposition party BNP and its allies.
The first four hours of voting in the 12th parliamentary election saw a voter turnout of 18.50 per cent, Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam said.
One of Bangladesh's key newspapers critical of the government said Sunday its website had been blocked, as the country votes in a general election boycotted by the opposition.
Sajid Hoque, news editor at the Daily Manab Zamin, said the paper had been "flooded with calls and messages" from readers who said "that they cannot access our website".
The newspaper's printed edition was still available on the streets.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday lashed out at the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal and said that the condition of the state is "worse than Manipur."
BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said, "The situation in Bengal is worse than Manipur. People voted for this government in the state. People will punish it for what it is doing. Central Government is doing its job of making suggestions and offering help for the upkeep of law & order. We can see that the situation in Bengal and at the Bangladesh border is not good for the security of the country, we had been saying this."
A fire raced through a crammed camp of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's southern coastal district of Cox's Bazar, gutting more than 1,000 shelters and leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said on Sunday.
The fire broke out around midnight on Saturday at Kutupalong camp in Ukhiya and spread quickly, fanned by strong winds, Shafiqul Islam, head of the Ukhiya Fire Station, told The Associated Press.
Bangladesh voters participated in the general elections in large numbers on Sunday, exuding confidence in the incumbent Awami League-led government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The voters said that there will not be any impact from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as people are not with them, but with the progress that the country has witnessed in the last 15 years.
Notably, around 170 million people in Bangladesh are voting to elect 299 lawmakers during the 12th national election amid a boycott by the main opposition BNP.
Prime Minister Hasina condemns the main opposition party as a 'terrorist' organization and calls on the public to express their confidence in the democratic process through voting. After casting her vote at Dhaka City College with her sister and daughter, Hasina stated, "The BNP is a terrorist organization," emphasizing her commitment to sustaining democracy in the country.
Bangladesh police say fired shotguns to break up opposition protest
Visuals from outside a polling booth in Dhaka as voting for Bangladesh general elections 2024 begins.
PM Sheikh Hasina casts her vote at a polling booth in Dhaka.
“PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is set for a fourth consecutive term. As Bangladesh goes to the polls today, a big question has emerged. Because Sheikh Hasina's opposition parties, BNP & allied have boycotted the general elections. Will it be a one-woman show," said Ghulam Abbas Shah in a post X.
A total of 28 political parties are contesting the election as 1971 candidates are vying for it in 299 constituencies out of total 300.
People queue up outside a polling station in Dhaka as voting is underway for the general elections 2024.
As Bangladesh goes to the polls today, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended her wishes for India and said that Bangladesh is lucky to have a trusted friend like India. She also highlighted India's support during the Liberation War in 1971.
In her message to India, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, ''We are very lucky...India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us...After 1975, when we lost our whole family...they gave us shelter. So our best wishes to the people of India."
According to Reuters, a passenger train was set ablaze in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing four.
The fire is among 14 arson incidents in Bangladesh this weekend ahead of what many claim is a rigged election.
Opposition members and their supporters are marching through the streets to reject general elections scheduled for January 8, and call on people not to vote. Many opposition parties are boycotting the vote as they consider the elections to be rigged in favor of PM Hasina.
Bangladesh general elections 2024: "I think the voter turnout will not be less than 50 per cent by the end of the day. The environment is peaceful across the country," says Bangladesh Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman.
In her message to India, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says, ''You are most welcome. We are very lucky...India is our trusted friend. During our liberation war, they supported us...After 1975, when we lost our whole family...they gave us shelter. So our best wishes to the people of India."
