Sheikh Hasina gets in as Bangladesh PM for fifth time

Dhaka: Sheikh Hasina got in again as Prime Minister for the fifth time in Bangladesh’s general elections 2024 in spite of the spurn of the main opposition. 

The major opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) refused to vote to raise objection of Hasina’s refusal to resign and let an unbiased figure supervise the general elections 2024.

The 76-year-old Hasina is the descendant of the former president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who has served the country since 1996. She has been ascribed to rescue the economy and the garments industry. 

She got the international renown for protecting the Rohingya Muslims fleeing oppression in Myanmar. Bangladesh’s Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said: “If we compare this election to the last one, we got to know that the voter’s turnout was 40% this year while it was 80% in previous one”.

The governing Awami League party got 167 out of 227 seats in the election, while the results of the left-over seats yet to be declared. Hasina got 249,962 votes from her supporters in Gopalganj, Dhaka. On the other hand, her close opponent got 469 votes. 

Hasina said: “I will try my best to make sure that the democracy should remain in this country. My only liability was for the citizens of Bangladesh.”

The Awami League's general secretary Obaidul Quader said that Hasina told the party leaders and supporters not to begin any parade on victory neither any celebration.

Ballots were held for 299 directly elected parliamentary seats with close to 120 million voters eligible to choose from nearly 2,000 participants.