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Ahead of the 12th Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, the country’s Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said, “…we want our election to be observed not only nationally, but also internationally.” Awal said Bangladesh believes “in a credible election, in participation and in the fairness and acceptability of results of the election.”
Announcing the schedule of Sunday polls, Bangladesh’s chief Election Commissioner said the election is going to be held on January 7. “The polling will commence at 8 am and that will continue without any interruption till 4 pm. After the voting, the ballot boxes will be opened and the results at the centres will be announced,” he added.
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More than 100 foreign observers, including three from India, reached Dhaka on Friday to monitor the general election in Bangladesh.
Current Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League is expected to win for the fourth consecutive time as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia boycotted the polls.
The polls, however, are contested by 27 political parties, including the parliamentary opposition Jatiya Party (JAPA). The rest are members of the ruling Awami League-led coalition, which experts dub as “satellite parties”, news agency PTI reported.
As part of its vote boycott campaign, the BNP called a 48-hour countrywide general strike from 6 am on January 6 to 6 am on January 8 as the party has been claiming no election under the incumbent government would be fair and credible.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina had urged people to exercise their voting rights in Sunday’s election to prove that democracy prevails in Bangladesh.
Suspecting pre-poll violence in the country, Bangladesh deployed Army troops across the country two days ago “in aid of civil administration” to maintain peace and order during the voting.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: 06 Jan 2024, 03:38 PM IST
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