Bangladesh

Landslide for Awami League

Article published on the 2008-12-30 Latest update 2008-12-31 11:09 TU

Sheikh Hasina on polling day
(Photo: Reuters)

The left-of-centre Awami League has won Bangladesh's general election by a landslide. Sheikh Hasina Wajed's party has won 300 of the 295 seats whose results have so far been announced by the Electon Commission. Turnout was 70 per cent and the vote was relatively peaceful in a country which has often been the scene of violent clashes between supporters of the two main parties.

The Awami League has the largest majority of any government since the 1973 election and will be able to rule alone with enough seats to pass any legislation it wants.

Its main rival, Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has won only 27 seats, with less than ten per cent of the vote.

The BNP's key ally in the 2001-2007 coalition government, the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami, saw its seats reduced from 17 to two.

The BNP claims that there was cheating but had already promised to respect the result.

"There have been a lot of irregularities," BNP spokesperson Rizvi Ahmed said. "Our supporters have been kept from voting, and our polling agents and officials have been barred from performing their duties."

The BNP-led government was kicked out by the military in 2007 because of corruption and repeated violence between party supporters.

Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, known as "the battling Begums", had ruled the country alternately for 17 years, after ousting a previous military government, led by Hossain Mohammad Ershad.

Under the military-backed government they were both jailed for  corruption, and Sheikh Hasina was charged with murder over the deaths of four protesters in 2006. The graft charges are frozen but, in theory, the murder charge remains outstanding.

The Awami League campaigned on promises to end corruption and reduce poverty by lowering food prices and investing in technology.

It also wants the prosecution of people accused of war crimes during the 1971 struggle to win independence from Pakistan.

The European Union, which sent observers to the election, has declared that the coming days will be crucial to restoring democratic rule to the 144-million-strong country. The US has congratulated Dhaka on holding a successful and peaceful election.