Sheikh Hasina wins 5th term in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Sheikh Hasina secured a fifth term as prime minister of Bangladesh in a close election after the election schedule was announced in early November, with the main opposition party boycotting the election. He was surprised who came in second place.

Instead of any political party, independent candidates won a total of 63 seats, marking the second time Hasina's Awami League (AL) has struggled to find an opposition party after winning 222 seats. According to the Election Commission, the current opposition Jatiya Party managed to get only 11 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly.

Almost all independent candidates who won were rejected by the AL. Still, party leaders asked them to present themselves as "fake candidates" to give the world a competitive edge in the election. "This is a surprising result of an incredible election," Shahidul Alam, a prominent Bangladeshi human rights activist and photographer, told Al Jazeera. "Fake candidates in bad elections now lead to a fake Congress."

AL's main political rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), wants the election to be held under a non-partisan organization rather than Hasina's government, saying Sunday's "one-sided election" was a "mere formality" to win back Hasina. In power. Again, say the experts. After Western governments pressured Hasina's government to ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections, the only tension they faced was voter turnout.

After the polls closed at 16:00 (10:00 GMT Sunday), the Electoral Commission (EC) reported a 40% voter turnout. But many doubted that it was too big.

Abdullah Yusuf, an engineer in the capital's Dhanmondi district, told Al Jazeera: "I don't know much about the rest of the country, but I think I've seen Dhaka this empty for years." "It was like the first days of COVID. I passed a few polling stations in the afternoon and apart from the Awami League activists, not many people were wearing badges. "The EU's claim of 40% is absurd," he said.

"Funny"

And some experts pointed out misunderstandings about the European Union's statement.

Former Election Commissioner Sakhawat Hossein said: "It is hard to believe that the voter turnout was 40%, especially considering that the Central Election Commissioner directly announced 28% at a press briefing and then suddenly changed it to 40%. A few hours after the end of the information session, the turnout at the control panel of the EC headquarters was 28%. His photo was widely shared on domestic social media and was criticized. Al Jazeera has verified and confirmed these figures. An hour before the end of the vote, the European Commission announced that the turnout was around 27%. Al Jazeera visited at least 10 polling stations in the capital Dhaka in the past hour but did not see any voters. Shamin Murshid, head of the Brotee election watchdog, told Al Jazeera that the increase from 27 to 40 members in one hour was "ridiculous" and "badly damaged the reputation of the European Commission".

"It was a surefire way to further erode public confidence when there was no need to begin with," he said. "This is not an election, but a cross-party voting exercise," he added.

And BNP leaders said 28% was too high, saying most polling stations across the country were empty throughout the day. The opposition party had earlier declared a 48-hour "hartal", equivalent to a general strike, on Saturday morning, leading to a drop in voter turnout.

"In most of the photos and images circulating in the media and social platforms, you can find images of dogs standing, lying down, and basking in the sun, along with the police and several Awami League activists," said Abdul Moin, senior Abdul Moin Khan. : BNP representative. "But there are no voters," he told reporters after the election.

According to Khan, people heeded the calls to boycott the ballots and "red card" the election. "Awami League supporters also did not bother to go to the polling booths to vote because they knew their candidate would win," he added.

legitimacy concerns

However, AL leaders said the BNP's plan to disrupt the elections through "hartals" and "arson" was ineffective as people turned out to vote. "This is a victory for our democracy," Obaidul Quader told the media after polls showed him a clear lead. "People respond appropriately to BNP terrorism by voting".

Quader also said that most people voted for their preferred candidates without any intimidation or interference with their vote. "This was one of the most peaceful elections in America," he said.

The last two national elections have been marred by dozens of deaths and severe violence, but Sunday's polls saw just one death and few clashes, making it one of the most peaceful polls in the South Asian country's history.

"The people of your country should be proud to hold such peaceful elections," Hisham Kuhail, secretary general of the Palestinian Central Electoral Commission, told a news conference later. Election officials wait for voters at a polling station in Dhaka. Four women sit on chairs along the hall. one that sits in the closet

But Prime Minister Kuhail dodged questions about voter turnout, saying he was only looking at technical details of the voting process, such as whether voters would be allowed to vote and whether voting would take place regularly.

"I cannot comment here on the political scenario. "For that, you have to stay at least a month," he added.

Russian observer Andrei Stov also said that the voting process was organized and peaceful. "These elections are legitimate," he added.

BNP Information Technology Minister AKM Wahiduzzaman said there was no doubt the situation was peaceful "because there are no voters". "But it's not legal," he said.

He added that the Awami League's victory was "illegal and illegitimate" because the people "did not legitimize them by voting".