TheLittleTwentieth – Renowned Papers Edition, AI Infused

Local sources from Bangladesh: Al Jazeera English, CNN.
UK coverage: Sky News.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured an overwhelming victory in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election, giving her party, the Awami League, a fourth consecutive term. The win also makes Hasina the longest-serving leader in the country’s history. The election was marred by violence and a boycott from the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which accused Hasina of creating a one-party state and suppressing dissent. The final official results are expected to be announced on Monday.

The Awami League won 222 seats, while independent candidates secured the second highest total with 63 seats. This created a problem of finding a parliamentary opposition. The current opposition, the Jatiya Party, managed to secure just 11 of the 300 parliamentary seats, according to the Election Commission. Almost all the winning independent contenders were people who had been rejected by the AL but were asked by the party leadership to stand as “dummy candidates” to give the election a competitive veneer in front of the world.

The Election Commission (EC) said the voter turnout was 40 percent, but many were doubtful it was even that high. The EC earlier declared at an hour before the poll closing that the turnout was about 27 percent. The only suspense, analysts said, was voter turnout, after Western governments put pressure on Hasina’s government to ensure a free, fair and participatory poll.

The BNP leaders, meanwhile, termed even 28 percent very high, saying that most of the polling booths across the country had been empty throughout the day. The opposition party earlier declared a 48-hour “hartal”, equivalent to a total strike, from Saturday morning, which it believed also reduced turnout.

The Awami League’s victory was met with criticism from the BNP, who said that people had heeded their call to boycott ballots and show a “red card” to the election. However, AL leaders said the BNP’s plan to foil the election had not paid off because people did turn out to vote.

Foreign observers of the poll praised the voting process for being systematic and peaceful. However, they avoided questions about voter turnout and said they were assessing only the technicalities of the voting process – whether voters were allowed access and whether voting took place systematically.

The results of the election are expected to have significant implications for the future of Bangladesh. The country has made significant progress in recent years in areas such as economic development and poverty reduction. The outcome of the election will determine whether these gains will continue or if there will be a shift in the country’s political landscape. As the voting continues, all eyes are on Bangladesh, waiting to see who will emerge as the country’s next leader.