Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to retain her title as the world’s longest-serving female head of government after her party swept more than half of the Parliament seats in the 12th Parliamentary election boycotted by the main opposition party BNP. Sheikh Hasina has secured a fourth consecutive term in office, according to the country’s electoral commission.

Bangladesh, home to 170 million people, is the first country in South Asia this year to head to the polls. But turnout was low, with 40% of approximately 120 million eligible voters taking part, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said at a polling briefing on Sunday.

Sheikh Hasina, in power since 2009, cast her vote in the capital Dhaka, and her win marks a fifth overall victory for her Awami League-led alliance.

“Our country is a sovereign and independent country – maybe we’re small but we have a big population,” she told reporters at a press conference in Dhaka. “We have established people’s democratic rights and also the right to a better life. That is our main aim.”

“I want to make sure that democracy should continue in this country,” she continued, adding that “without democracy, you cannot make any development.”

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted the elections after Hasina denied calls to resign and let a neutral caretaker government run the election.

Apart from this, the country is also beset by economic problems, requiring a nearly $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund last year. The economic concerns loom over the nation, which last month was told to tighten its monetary policy and have greater exchange rate flexibility to help contain high inflation by the IMF.

Source : CNN

BDST: 1317 HRS, JAN 08, 2024 
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