Page 7 - Bangladesh Election

Bangladesh to hold elections on Sunday, PM Hasina expected to win

Bangladesh will go to the polls on Sunday in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which on Saturday began a 48-hour nationwide strike against the "illegal government" amidst sporadic violence. A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations, according to the country's Election Commission. More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. Over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, will monitor the 12th general election, which is being held under tight security. The election commission said voting will start at 8 am and will end at 5 pm. The results are expected to start flowing from early on January 8. Prime Minister Hasina's ruling Awami League is expected to win for a straight fourth time as the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of

B'desh to hold elections on Sunday; PM Hasina poised to win another term

Bangladesh will go to the polls on Sunday in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which is boycotting the elections amidst violence and has called for a 48-hour nationwide strike against the "illegal government." A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations, according to the country's Election Commission. More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. Over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, will monitor the 12th general election, which is being held under tight security. The election commission said it expected the results to start flowing from early on January 8. Prime Minister Hasina's ruling Awami League is expected to win for a straight fourth time as the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia,

Anti-India activity won't be tolerated: B'desh minister ahead of elections

Ahead of Sunday's general elections in Bangladesh, the country's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan asserted that Dhaka will never permit its territory to be used for any anti-India activity or terrorism, as long as the Awami League is in power. The senior minister in the Sheikh Hasina government also expressed confidence that Chinese investments in his country should not be a cause for concern, emphasising that nothing can be compared to the enduring Indo-Bangladesh relations, that are set to strengthen further in the coming days. In a telephonic interview with PTI from Dhaka, Khan stated that the Awami League government is for free and fair general elections on January 7, and claimed that the main opposition BNP has boycotted the polls "out of fear" of not securing a majority. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has boycotted the elections after the Awami League refused to cede power to a caretaker government to conduct the polls. "The BNP and Jamaat, during their tenure, had give

Fear, panic plague Opposition in Bangladesh ahead of Jan 7 elections

The United States, the biggest buyer of Bangladesh's garments, has condemned the violence, and curbed visas for citizens of the South Asian nation believed to have a role in undermining elections

LIVE: 'Govt, transporters agreed workers will resume work immediately'

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Best of BS Opinion: After 370, The safe bet of underground mining & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Bangladesh to deploy Army to maintain order ahead of Jan 7 elections

Bangladesh Army said on Monday that it will deploy troops to maintain law and order as the country gears up for January 7 general elections that the opposition parties demand should be held under an interim non-partisan government. The Election Commission (EC) wants us (armed forces) to be deployed to stage a free and fair election in a healthy atmosphere. We ensured them of all-out support, the armed forces division's principal staff officer Lt Gen Wakar-uz-Zaman told a media briefing here. The announcement came after Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and other commissioners met with concerned civil and military officials at the commission office. Zaman said the Army troops would be deployed across the country in aid of civil power for 13 days from December 29 and we will extend our support to the commission the way it wants. He said the armed forces deployment was not a new phenomenon as they were called out during past general elections as well but termed today's ...

Bangladesh in poll position

The exercise complicates geopolitics for India, the US & China

Bangladesh oppn party holds protest as it boycotts Jan 7 national election

Hundreds of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters protested on Sunday to mark International Human Rights Day, as the country gears up for a general election on January 7 that the opposition says should be held under a non-partisan, caretaker government. The party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is boycotting the election, leaving voters in the South Asian nation of 166 million with little choice but to re-elect Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League for a fourth consecutive term. At Sunday's protest in front of the National Press Club in downtown Dhaka, opposition activists said they do not think a fair and free election can take place under Hasina's watch. The gathering took place weeks after a massive opposition rally on October 28 turned violent. The party's decision to boycott the polls comes amid a monthslong crackdown that has reportedly seen hundreds of opposition politicians jailed and critics silenced, an allegation authorities have ...

B'desh oppn calls nationwide strike, demands cancellation of Jan 7 polls

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday called a 48-hour nationwide strike demanding the cancellation of the January 7 general elections, claiming that it was meant to install Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League government for a fourth straight term. The announcement came a day after Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said that the much-awaited general elections will be held on January 7. BNP's senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called the two-day general strike starting from 6 AM Sunday. Former premier Khaleda Zia-led party has rejected the announcement of the election schedule and vowed to continue protesting against the government's decision to carry on with the election process. "Everybody in Bangladesh knows the outcome of this election," senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said. Several BNP allies including far right Jamaat-e-Islami extended support for the strike call, prompting law enforcement agencies to intensify

Bangladesh set to hold general elections on January 7, says EC chief

Bangladesh will hold the much-awaited general elections on January 7, the country's chief election commissioner announced on Wednesday. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal announced the dates during an address to the nation that was telecast live. The announcement came amid mounting political tensions as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its far-right allies like the Jamaat-e-Islami have waged a street campaign demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government to allow a non-party interim government to conduct the general elections. The ruling Awami League has dismissed the demand, saying elections would be held under Premier Hasina, who also rejected proposals for dialogue with the Opposition by the US and other major Western countries, calling BNP a terrorist organisation. Since October 28, the opposition parties have been enforcing transport blockades and clashing with police and rival activists in support of their demand. The political viole

Policeman killed, 200 injured in violence in Bangladesh ahead of elections

A Bangladeshi policeman was killed and more than 200 people, including security personnel, were injured on Saturday as violence erupted during rallies called by the ruling and opposition parties here, heightening tensions in the country ahead of the expected elections in January. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, organised a grand rally here demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to allow free and fair elections under a non-party interim government. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Spokesman Faruk Hossain said BNP activists hacked to death a police constable while 41 other policemen were wounded in clashes across the capital. He added that 39 policemen were undergoing treatment at the Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital (CPH). Doctors declared him (policeman) dead as he was brought here, Bacchu Mian, Inspector at the police outpost at state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told reporters, as the ruling Awam

Bangladesh PM, US NSA discussed importance of improving bilateral ties: WH

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting with the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week during which they discussed the importance of improving the relationship between the two countries, the White House said. The Bangladeshi prime minister was here last week and also met several other senior officials of the Biden Administration. Last month, she had a fruitful pull-aside meeting with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi. They (the prime minister and US NSA) talked about the importance of improving our bilateral relationship across a range of issues including climate change, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House told reporters at a news conference here on Tuesday. The two meetings gained significance in the wake of the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh. They did talk about the importance of free and fair elections, Kirby said in response to a ...

US visa threat before B'desh elections: Warning to faltering democracies

The US would now restrict visas for any Bangladeshi citizen who is believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in that country

Bangladesh to hold presidential election by Feb 23, announces poll body

Bangladesh will hold the presidential election by February 23, the country's poll body announced

Transparency International finds irregularities in Bangladesh elections

The poll that gave Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a third straight term was undermined by ballot stuffing, voter intimidation among other malpractices

US expresses concern over violence, irregularities in Bangladesh polls

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami Party scored a landslide victory winning 288 of the 300 seats it contested

US expresses concern over 'irregularities' during Bangladesh polls

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League and its allies won the general elections on Sunday, bagging 288 of the total 299 seats which went to the polls

Hat-trick for Hasina

Bangladesh's one-sided poll result poses new challenges

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina rejects poll rigging claims after landslide win

Hasina won a third straight term in Sunday's election, with alliance led by her Awami League winning 287 of the 298 seats for which results had been declared