The counting of votes has begun in Bangladesh as polling for the 12th Parliamentary elections in the country ended on Sunday, with 27 per cent votes cast till 3 pm (local time), the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Bangladesh voters participated in the general elections in large numbers on Sunday, exuding confidence in the incumbent Awami League-led government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
As polling began, Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan highlighted the importance of elections in the country and expressed confidence in his party's victory in the election, with Sheikh Hasina becoming the PM for the fifth time.
"We are very excited and eagerly waiting for this moment. PM has just submitted her vote. The whole is coming to the centres and voting...We will win, I am 100 per cent confident. I will win and my PM will come back to power for the fifth time," he said.
In her message to India, Bangladesh Prime Minister 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."
"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 200
More than 42,000 polling stations are set for Sunday's elections, where a total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to cast their votes, as reported by the country's Election Commission.
At least 14 polling centres and two schools in 10 districts of Bangladesh were set on fire between Friday evening and early Saturday, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
The Bangladesh Election Commission's election application, "Smart Election Management BD" crashed on the eve of general elections scheduled to be held on January 7, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.
Ahead of the Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, the country's Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen has expressed his optimism about Sheikh Hasina clinching her fourth term in office, underlining that the country will maintain the same policy towards its neighbour, particularly India.
Ahead of the general elections set to be held tomorrow in Bangladesh, the country's opposition party, the BNP, staged a massive protest in Dhaka's Paltan area today.