Bangladesh Elections: Sheikh Hasina Heading for Clear Win

Dhaka [Bangladesh], Dec 30 (ANI): Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is all set to retain power as the trends of the counting of votes suggest that her party is heading for a massive win.

However, the Jatiya Oikya Front has called the election a farce and has demanded its cancellation.

As per unofficial results given on a Bangladesh newspaper website Prothom Alo, Hasina has got 2,29,539 votes while SM Gilani, BNP candidate, has got 123 votes. Awami League president was unofficially declared elected in Gopalganj-3 constituency.

Jatiya Oikya Front leader Kamal Hossain said at a media conference: "We demand fresh elections to be supervised by a neutral caretaker government." He said the electoral process was plagued by ballot stuffing overnight, forcing out opposition polling agents, and killing of more than 12 people.

The official result of the polls is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.

The counting of votes polled in the 11th General Elections in Bangladesh, which concluded at 4 pm on Sunday, is underway in the nation. The polling began early morning on Sunday, which was marked by heavy violence, claiming as many as 12 lives and injuring 64 others.

The capital city of Dhaka, however, witnessed peaceful voting, while several parts of the nation were engulfed in raging violence during voting. Police have arrested as many as eight people in connection with the clashes.

A Chhatra League leader was killed by unidentified assailants in the violence in Gazipur. Another leader belonging to the Awami League Party was killed during a tussle between supporters of the ruling party and BNP over the occupation of a polling centre in Rajshahi's Tanore Upazila.

Several leaders from multiple parties cried foul alleging the rigging of votes. A few leaders even boycotted the election citing the same reason.

Two people were reported to have lost their lives in Comilla district until now, while one person died each in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangamati, Cox's Bazar, Bogura and Noakhali. Furthermore, around 64 people have been injured in clashes across the nation, reports The Daily Star.

A Jatiya Oikya Front supporter Mujib lost his life in Comilla district's Chandina in police firing after he allegedly tried to snatch ballots from the polling centres. Another Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporter, identified as Bachchu Mia, was killed in a separate incident at the district's Murgaon voting centre in what has been termed as an Awami League-BNP supporters' clash by Nangolcoat Police Station Sub-Inspector Aminul Islam.

Furthermore, clashes between the supporters of the candle symbol, Awami League and BNP led to the death of Abu Sadek at Pashchim Maliapara in Chattogram. Sadek's political affiliation has not been ascertained yet.

In Rajshahi, the supporters from BNP allegedly attacked and killed Merajuddin, an Awami League supporter at a high school in Mohonpur, according to The Daily Star.

Meanwhile, an elderly voter, identified as Kina Mohammad, aged 65-years-old, lost his life in Dinajpur during a confrontation between supporters of the Awami League and the BNP.

A leader from the youth front of Awami League, Mohammed Bashir Uddin, was killed by the BNP supporters attacked him and one of his followers when they were on their way to a polling centre in Rangamati on Sunday morning. (ANI)

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