The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, yesterday secured a fifth term as a given in the elections, which the main opposition abstained from, denouncing it as a “travesty”.

Although Ms Hasina, in power since 2009, is credited with bringing rapid economic growth to the world’s eighth-most populous country, which was once plagued by extreme poverty, her government has been accused of systematic human rights abuses and a relentless crackdown on opposition.

The Bangladesh People’s League (AL), the prime minister’s party, secured about three-quarters of the seats in parliament, according to the election commission.

The full official election results will be officially announced today.

After casting her vote in the capital Dhaka, Prime Minister Hasina urged citizens to go to the polls, promising “free and fair” elections.

At the same time, he criticized the fact that the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), decided to stay away, calling it a “terrorist organization”.

For its part, the BNP denounced yesterday’s “parody of elections”, while other factions, which were decimated in recent months due to a wave of mass arrests, were also absent from the voting.

Among the ruling party’s candidates to be elected is Shakib al-Hassan, the captain of the national cricket team — the country’s most popular sport — according to media reports.

The People’s Association practically had no opponents in the constituencies it contested. However, he did not present candidates in some, with the obvious purpose of avoiding a one-party parliament, which will be considered simply an organ of the only party.

“Shame”

The head of the National Electoral Commission, Habibul Awal, estimated yesterday that the turnout was around 40%.

Many citizens who were asked about it said that they did not participate in the process, since the result was a foregone conclusion.

“Why should I go to vote when one party participates and not the other?” asked Mohamed Saidour, a 31-year-old motorcycle taxi driver.

“We all know who will win,” argued Farhana Manik, a 27-year-old student.

BNP leader Tariq Rahman alleged fraud, claiming ballot boxes arrived at polling stations full.

“What happened is not an election, it’s a shame,” he judged via social networking sites from London, where he has lived in exile since 2008, adding that he had seen “videos and photos” documenting the allegations.

Numerous testimonies spoke of various forms of pressure, as well as blackmail, by the authorities to get citizens to vote for the ruling faction.

Some voters said they had received threats that their benefits cards would be confiscated if they did not vote for the People’s League.

“They told me that since the government is feeding us, we should vote for it,” explained a 64-year-old voter in Faridpur district (center).

Mass arrests

The BNP and other opposition factions staged protests last year demanding the prime minister resign and a neutral, caretaker government take over to organize and oversee the election. In vain.

Some 25,000 opposition members and officials, including the entire BNP leadership inside the country, have been arrested in a wave of crackdowns following last year’s protests. Many people were killed in clashes with police or in custody, according to the opposition. The government, for its part, has spoken of 11,000 arrests.

Nearly 700,000 police and reservists, as well as 100,000 military personnel, were deployed across the country to guarantee security during the vote, according to the electoral commission.

Bangladeshi security forces have been accused for years of using excessive force, which the government denies.

After returning to power in 2009, Ms. Hasina, 76, strengthened her hold on power, winning two more contests marred by irregularities and allegations of fraud.

The success of the economic policy she implemented for a long time gave Sheikh Hasina high popularity. But hardships for citizens have multiplied recently, with the prices of most basic goods skyrocketing and the country facing widespread blackouts in 2022.