Bangladesh

Tight security in first election since 2001

Article published on the 2008-12-29 Latest update 2008-12-29 15:46 TU

Voters queue at a polling booth in Dhaka
(Credit: Reuters)

Bangladeshis voted under tight security on Monday in their first elections since 2001, as two former prime ministers vie for the top job. The vote is slated to restore democracy in the country after two years of miltary-backed interim government rule. At least 12 people were injured in the south of the country when supporters of both candidates clashed.

People queued for hours before the polls opened at 8am (0200 UT) to cast their vote in legislative elections. Former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina Wajed of the Awami League and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), spoke rallies around the country in the days before the election.

The two bitter rivals promised cheaper food, anti-corruption measures and action against Islamic militants, although they were both jailed by the outgoing regime for corruption.

The outcome of the election is not clear-cut, according to analysts, especially as one-third of the 81 million voters are casting their ballots for the first time.

A UN-funded digital poll has eliminated 12.7 million fake names, a problem that has plagued previous elections in the country. The top two candidates have warned of voter fraud but have promised not to contest the results.

The vote is being monitored by 200,000 electoral observers, including 2,500 from abroad.

Police seized explosives and captured 24 militants over the past few days, but campaigning has been relatively incident-free, although some 25 people were arrested earlier today for handing out cash bribes.