Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina on Monday asserted that her re-election in the much-disputed polls was legitimate and appealed to her arch-rival, BNP chief Khaleda Zia, to shun “terrorism” and severe ties with the fundamentalist Jamaat to strike a deal on the next elections.

“I call upon all again, including the honourable leader of the opposition (Zia), for peaceful talks discarding the path of terrorism and violence and severing ties with war criminals and the militant Jamaat,” a beaming Hasina said, offering an olive branch to the opposition leader.

“A solution can be reached on the next elections only through talks. For that everyone will have to have restraints, tolerance and stop political violence of all sorts,” the 66-year-old told reporters in her first comments after the polls.

The boycott of yesterday’s polls by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) should “not mean there will be a question of legitimacy”, said Hasina.

“People participated in the poll and other parties participated.”

Hasina’s Awami League won 104 of the 147 seats for which polling was held yesterday. Having won 127 seats uncontested, the party now has 231 seats, which gives it a clear three-fourth majority in the 10th parliament.

She said fresh elections might be arranged if the Awami League and BNP, led by former Prime Minister Zia, were able to reach a concensus.

The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance boycotted the polls that were marred by violence which claimed nearly 30 lives since Saturday.

Opposition cadres set over 200 polling stations on fire yesterday.

The opposition kept away from the polls after Hasina spurned their demands to step down and make space for a neutral caretaker government for overseeing the elections.

“Look, I tried my best, I told you, I offered ministries, I offered to share power with our opposition. I have done as much as I can do but they didn’t respond,” she said. “Now if they realise that they made a mistake in not participating in the election, perhaps then they may come forward to discuss with us or make an offer.”

Hasina ordered police and the army to take stern action to stop violence.

“At any cost, lives and properties of people have to be saved, peace ensured and post-polls violence stopped,” she said.

“So I am issuing directives to all members of the administration, military and law enforcement agencies to work sincerely to contain with iron hands any post-election terrorism and violence.”

 

At least five persons, including a youth leader of the Awami League, were killed in violence today as opposition parties enforced a nationwide strike to protest the “farcical” vote. The opposition launched the 48-hour strike today.

It is also enforcing an indefinite blockade of railways, roads and waterways.

The BNP and its key ally, the Jamaat-e-Islami, have spearheaded a violent campaign to thwart the elections.

They have enforced a series of strikes and blockades since November in which over 160 people were killed.

Hasina said the trial of Jamaat leaders for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan would continue.

The verdict in these cases would be implemented with due process and her government would follow a zero tolerance policy against terrorism and religious fundamentalism, she said.

Awami League set to clinch over three-fourth majority in polls

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League is set to form the next government after securing over three-fourth majority in the controversial polls marred by deadly clashes, a low turnout and a boycott by opposition parties.

According the unofficial results, the Awami League candidates won in 107 seats and its ally Jatiya Party so far bagged 16 as counting for votes in 147 out of 300 constituencies in 59 districts were still underway.

Having won 127 seats uncontested, the party has now more than 230 seats in the house, which gives it a clear three- fourth majority in the 10th parliament – much like it was in the 9th parliament. “We are compiling the results… you will get the results by later today,” an Election Commission (EC) spokesman said.

The results of eight constituencies were withheld as violence forced suspension of polling at several polling stations in those areas, he said.

The EC is also set to declare names of candidates elected unopposed in 153 constituencies in the 300-seat parliament where candidates of the AL and its allies appeared as lone candidates in the absence of rivals from Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led 18 party alliance.

At least 21 people, including opposition activists, an election official and a law enforcement agency man, were killed in violence during the “one sided” elections. The EC is yet to calculate the average turnout, but media reports said fear of violence and absence of opposition candidates kept voters away from polling stations.

“We staged the election due to our constitutional obligation…Elections could have been much better if all had participated,” Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said. He, however, said fair elections were held at 97 per cent of the polling centres amid reports that the ballot boxes were stuffed by ruling party activists to hide the low turn out.

Political analysts said in legal terms the election was legitimate but the opposition boycott and low turnout cast a shadow on its credibility. They expected dialogues between the major two parties to resolve the political deadlock. Media reports said the Awami League was likely to form the new government as early as possible.

The BNP-led opposition had demanded postponement of the polls and setting up of a non-party caretaker government, but Prime Minister Hasina rejected the demands. Political violence during strikes enforced by the opposition since November have left more than 160 people dead.