Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took a jibe at the opposition’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which boycotted the general elections being held on Sunday, and called it a “terrorist organisation”, adding she was trying to ensure the nation remained democratic.
“The BNP is a terrorist organisation,” she said after casting her vote soon after the voting began at 8am local time on Sunday. Accompanied by her daughter and other members of her family, Hasina voted at City College in Dhaka.
Wrap up the year gone by & gear up for 2024 with HT! Click here
She also emphasised the importance of democracy for the development of the country.
“Our country is sovereign and independent…We have a big population. We have established people’s democratic rights…I want to make sure that democracy should continue in this country and without democracy, you can’t make any development. As we are a long-term democratic system from 2009 to 2023, that is why Bangladesh made this much of an achievement,” news agency ANI quoted Hasina as saying.
“Bangladesh is a sovereign country and people are my power,” Hasina added saying that she hoped her party would win the people’s mandate, which would give it a fifth term.
The BNP, the opposition party led by former PM Khalida Zia refused to compete in the elections against the Hasina-led Awami League, alleging it will neither be free nor fair. It also issued a call for a 48-hour nationwide strike on Saturday to demand the resignation of Hasina’s “illegal government” and urged the public not to participate in what they have dubbed a “sham” election.
Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term and the fifth overall in the absence of the main opposition in the 12th general assembly election.
A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday’s polls in over 42,000 polling stations, according to the country’s Election Commission.
The voting is being held in 299 out of 300 constituencies. The election to one centre will be held later as a candidate died there. Over 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates.
Women make up almost half of the nearly 120 million eligible voters, while first-time voters number about 15 million.
(With inputs from agencies)
