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Bangladesh turnout low in election set to keep PM Sheikh Hasina in power
Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the polls in a general election on Sunday set to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fourth straight term, after a vote boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by violence.
Rights groups have warned of virtual one-party rule by Hasina’s Awami League in the South Asian country of 170 million people after the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and some smaller allies.
The United States and Western nations, key customers of Bangladesh’s garment industry, have called for a free and fair election, the 12th since independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Turnout was 27.15% at 3 p.m. (0900), an hour before polls closed, the election commission said, compared with overall turnout of more than 80% in the last election in 2018.
Voting was cancelled at three centres due to irregularities, said Jahangir Alam, secretary of the commission.
The BNP, boycotting the second of the past three elections, says Hasina’s party is trying to legitimise a sham vote. She refused BNP demands to resign and allow a neutral authority to run the election, accusing the opposition of instigating anti-government protests that have rocked Dhaka since late October and killed at least 14 people.
In her latest 15 years in power, Hasina, 76, has been credited with turning around Bangladesh’s economy and the key garment industry. But critics accuse her of authoritarianism, human rights violations, crackdowns on free speech and suppression of dissent.
At least four people were killed on Friday in a passenger train fire that the government called arson. Several polling booths, schools and a Buddhist monastery were set ablaze days before the poll.
A person in Munshiganj, south of the capital Dhaka, was hacked to death on Sunday morning, district police chief Mohammad Aslam Khan said, adding that it was unclear if the killing was related to political violence.
Police in Chandpur district about 110 km (70 miles) from Dhaka fired tear gas to disperse BNP supporters who had blocked roads to disrupt voting and threw stones at security forces, said district police chief Saiful Islam.
Supporters of the Awami League and independent candidates clashed in some districts, amid allegations that ruling party cadres were stuffing sealed ballot papers in voting boxes, local media reported.
Bangladesh deployed nearly 800,000 security forces to guard polling booths and troops were mobilised nationwide to assist in maintaining peace.
‘PEOPLE ARE MY POWER,’ HASINA SAYS
Hasina, accompanied by her daughter and other family members, voted at Dhaka’s City College minutes after polling began at 8 a.m. Initial results are expected early on Monday.
“Bangladesh is a sovereign country and people are my power,” Hasina said after voting, adding that she hoped her party would win the people’s mandate, which would give it a fifth term since 1996.
“I am trying my best to ensure that democracy should continue in this country.”
A winter chill and fog eased marginally during the day with people queuing up outside polling booths, according to Reuters witnesses.
About 120 million voters were choosing from nearly 2,000 candidates for 300 directly elected parliamentary seats. There are 436 independent candidates, the most since 2001.
The opposition BNP, its top leaders either in jail or exile, says the Awami League has propped up “dummy” candidates as independents to try to make the election look credible, a claim the ruling party denies.
The BNP called a two-day strike nationwide through Sunday, asking people to shun the election.
“PM Hasina has done a lot for the country. I’ll vote for her party,” said Anowar Hossain, 55, as he walked home after buying vegetables at a market in Dhaka.
College teacher Zayeda Begum, 55, was among dozens of women at a polling booth in the capital. She said she was happy with how Bangladesh was progressing, adding that she had cast her vote in favour of the ruling party.
Hasina said she did not need to prove the credibility of the election to anyone. “What is important is if the people of Bangladesh will accept this election.”
The economy has slowed sharply since the Russia-Ukraine war pushed up prices of fuel and food imports, forcing Bangladesh to turn last year to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout of $4.7 billion.
Fahim Faysal, 20, a BNP supporter and a first-time voter decided against voting due to the absence of the opposition party.
“The government is doing many things but there are no employment opportunities,” he said. “I feel it would have been better if BNP contested. Anyway, it’s their decision.”
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a cautionary notice indicating that the current heatwave is anticipated to endure for 72 consecutive hours commencing Thursday morning.
The BMD attributes the prolonged discomfort to heightened moisture incursion, amplifying the oppressive conditions.
This advisory comes subsequent to prior warnings released on April 19th and April 22nd, underscoring the BMD’s ongoing vigilance and management of the adverse weather dynamics impacting the area.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (25 April) called for speaking out against all forms of aggression and atrocities, and say ‘no’ to wars.
“We must speak out against all forms of aggression and atrocities, and say ‘no’ to wars,” she said adding that Bangladesh supports the UN Secretary General’s ‘New Agenda for Peace.
The prime minister was addressing the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) held at the ESCAP Hall (2nd floor), United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) here.
She arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday on a six-day official visit to Thailand.
The PM said the pre-condition for sustainable development is lasting peace and security.
“We must settle regional disputes and tension through dialogue. Our mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain paramount,” she said.
Hasina called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially ASEAN, to redouble their efforts to end Rohingya crisis as all efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked by a missing puzzle without it.
“The origin of their crisis has been in Myanmar, and its solution also lies in Myanmar,” she declared.
“As long as that solution remains out of reach, all our efforts at regional connectivity, integration, and prosperity will continue to be marked by a missing puzzle. Let us redouble our efforts to put that puzzle back in place,” she said.
She said that in August 2017, when thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children from Myanmar fled to Bangladesh, Bangladesh offered them temporary shelter.
“With an ever growing population, this has now become one of the largest humanitarian situations in the world,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said that In the backdrop of ongoing armed conflicts in Myanmar, the Rohingya repatriation process is also getting delayed.
“This is creating serious security risks within and beyond our territories,” she said.
She called upon the Asia-Pacific region, especially ASEAN, to play a proactive role in resolving the volatile situation in Myanmar.
“We must ensure that the Rohingya can go back home in safety and dignity at the earliest possible,” she said.
The prime minister said that the Asia-Pacific region must stand united against its common enemies of poverty and hunger.
She said Bangladesh has reduced poverty from 41.51 percent to 18.7 percent between 2006 and 2022.
It also reduced extreme poverty from 25.1 to 5.6 percent during the same period.
“We remain confident about eradicating extreme poverty by 2030,” she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has made notable progress on food security, with focused interventions on maternal and child nutrition.
“Our current priority is to address inequalities through income distribution, asset ownership, and social protection,” she said.
The prime minister said that Asia-Pacific region must put up a united front in tackling the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and transboundary pollution.
“We need to push for ambitious climate financing goals beyond 2025 at COP-29. We need to cooperate on cross-border water management and air quality improvement. We must all prepare for growing extreme weather events,” she said.
In this connection, she suggested looking into Bangladesh’s experience in disaster risk reduction.
“We appreciate UN-ESCAP’s support in improving our early warning capabilities,” she added.
Briefly describing various development programmes and achievements of her govebrment, the prime minister said that much of the development gains are affected by climate impacts.
“As a low-lying delta, Bangladesh has no option but to invest heavily in climate resilience,” she said.
She mentioned that Bangladesh is already recognised as a global leader in climate adaptation.
“We are happy to share our traditional and innovative solutions with other vulnerable countries,” she said.
She said that Bangladesh has urged developed and emerging economies in the region to raise their time-bound emission reduction targets.
“For economies in transition, it is important to have a just energy transition.”
In Bangladesh, she said, “we are working on long-term energy security with a sound mix of clean and renewable energy.”
“We shall continue to do our part in pursuing a circular and low-carbon economic growth pathway.”
She underscored the need for increased and easy access to financing and technology from both the public and private sectors.
“I invite UN-ESCAP to help build the capacity of climate-vulnerable countries to mobilise adequate international climate financing.”
PM Hasina said that Bangladesh now provides critical links to the Trans-Asian Highway and Railway networks.
“Our physical and digital infrastructures are being developed to foster regional trade and connectivity.”
She said Bangladesh offers access to the Bay of Bengal for land-locked territories in its neighbourhood.
“We stand ready to work together with all regional partners through mutual understanding and cooperation,” said the prime minister.
A severe heatwave blankets several northern and southern districts, while mild to moderate heat prevails in three divisions and other districts, according to the latest meteorological forecast.
“The severe heatwave affects Rajshahi, Pabna, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jashore, and Patuakhali districts,” the report stated.
Mild to moderate heatwave conditions persist in Dhaka, Rangpur, and Mymensingh divisions, as well as in parts of Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barishal divisions, along with Moulvibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, and Bandarban districts. The heatwave may extend further, the report added.
Expect rain or thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds in Sylhet division, with isolated hailstorms, as per the weather bulletin valid for the next 24 hours from 9 am today.
Elsewhere across the country, the weather is forecasted to remain mainly dry with occasional partly cloudy skies.
A trough of low pressure lies over West Bengal and the adjoining area.
On Tuesday, the highest temperature recorded was 40.5 degrees Celsius at Ishurdi, while the lowest was 20.7 degrees Celsius at Tetulia.
Daytime temperatures may rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures may drop slightly across the country.
Increased moisture incursion may persist, causing discomfort.
In the capital, the sun sets at 6:24 PM today and rises at 5:29 AM tomorrow.
