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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote in Dhaka as the country goes to General Elections 2024 on Sunday.
Bangladesh Elections 2024: Polling has started in Bangladesh for the 12th General Elections on Sunday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed cast her vote early in the morning in Dhaka. She is anticipated to secure another term despite boycott calls by the main Opposition party, BNP. Notably, several cases of pre-poll violence have also been reported before the General Assembly elections, including two schools and 14 polling centers that were torched recently. According to Bangladesh Election Commission, more than 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to cast their votes at over 42,000 polling stations across the country. The election results are expected to begin early on Monday.
#WATCH | Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina casts her vote in Dhaka as the country goes to general elections 2024 today. pic.twitter.com/T8tPAhXOmU
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2024
PM Hasina extended her wishes for India stating that Bangladesh is lucky to have a trusted friend like India. She also talked about New Delhi’s support during the 1971 Liberation War.
In her message to India, PM Sheikh Hasina said, ”We are very lucky…India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us…After 1975, when we lost our whole family…they gave us shelter. So our best wishes to the people of India.”
#WATCH | Dhaka: In her message to India, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says, ”You are most welcome. We are very lucky…India is our trusted friend. During our liberation war, they supported us…After 1975, when we lost our whole family…they gave us shelter. So our… pic.twitter.com/3Z0NC5BVeD
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2024
She recounted her family’s massacre in 1975, in which her family members were brutally killed and she lived in exile in India for several years. Hasina later returned to her country and took over the Awami League.
After casting her vote, the Bangladesh PM highlighted the importance of democracy for the development of the country, saying that her government has established people’s democratic rights.
“Our country is sovereign and independent…We have a big population. We have established people’s democratic rights…I want to make sure that democracy should continue in this country and without democracy, you can’t make any development. As we are a long-term democratic system from 2009 to 2023, that is why Bangladesh made this much of an achievement,” she said.
Bangladesh Elections 2024: Security Beefed Up
More than 1,75,000 police officers and over 5,15,000 members of the Ansar reserve force mobilised at different polling stations to stop any untoward activity. Voting will stay open till 5 pm today. However, the Opposition party has called a weekend general strike and also requested the countrymen not to vote.
Bangladesh Elections 2024: Voters
In the voting tally, women voters make up almost half of the 120 million eligible voters. The first-time voters are approx. 15 million.
According to Al Jazeera, PM Sheikh Hasina is expected to win the elections for the fourth straight term in the absence of BNP. BNP, the main opposition party in the country, started a 48-hour nationwide strike on Saturday against the “illegal government” amidst violence on protesters.
On December 27, the Supreme Court gave clearance for the Election Commission (EC) to proceed with the elections. After getting the clearance, the EC made arrange12th national parliamentary election to ensure a peaceful process.
It is worth noting that 127 foreign observers will review the election process to assess the election’s fairness.
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