China congratulates Bangla PM Hasina on election win, praises 'smooth' polls

China congratulated Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday on her landslide victory in the parliamentary elections and praised her government for conducting the polls "smoothly".

Hasina's ruling Awami League and its allies won the 11th general elections on Sunday, bagging 288 of the total 299 seats which went to the polls. The opposition front secured just seven seats.

Congratulating Prime Minister Hasina, who secured a third straight term and record fourth overall, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: "As a close and friendly neighbour, we have noted that the elections were held smoothly in Bangladesh".

"We congratulate Prime Minister Hasina's party on winning the elections. We are willing to work with the new government of Bangladesh to move forward China and Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership," Lu told reporters Wednesday.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Hasina on her landslide victory and hoped that the strategic and mutual cooperation between the two countries would continue during the upcoming tenure.

Bangladesh's opposition rejected the poll outcome and urged the Election Commission to immediately scrap the "farcical election" and hold a fresh one under a non-partisan interim government.

According to media reports, at least 18 people, including a member of a security agency, were killed and more than 200 others injured in poll-related violence, making it one of the deadliest polls in the country.

China has made big investments in Bangladesh during the decade-long rule of Hasina and maintained close military ties with Dhaka.