Bangladesh ruling party wins poll hit by violence, boycott

Bangladesh's ruling party won one of the most violent elections in the country's history on Monday, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition that made the results a foregone conclusion.

Although a win by the ruling Awami League was never in doubt, the chaos surrounding Sunday's election plunges Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation, and could lead to more violence in a deeply impoverished country of 160 million.

On Monday, clashes stemming from the election killed three people in Dohar, outside the capital, according to police. At least 18 people were killed on Sunday as police fired at protesters and opposition activists torched more than 100 polling stations.

"We are passing our days in fear and anxiety," said Abdur Rahman, an accountant and resident of the capital, Dhaka, where soldiers patrolled the streets on Monday. "These two major parties don't care about anything. Only Allah knows what is in store now for us."

The Awami League won 232 of the 300 elected seats, the Election Commission said on Monday, far more than the 151 required to form a government. Because of the opposition boycott, about half the seats were uncontested, allowing the Awami League to rack up many victories.

The political feuding in this South Asian nation can be traced back decades, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vying for power with Khaleda Zia, the opposition leader. The country has been ruled alternately by these women - both from powerful political families - for nearly 22 years.

The squabbling between the two - known as the "Battling Begums" - is at the heart of much of the political drama. "Begum" is an honorific for Muslim women of rank.

The opposition has demanded that Prime Minister Hasina's government resign so a neutral administration could oversee the polls. They said Hasina might rig the election if she stayed in office, a claim she has rejected.

A group of opposition parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, boycotted the election after Hasina refused to heed their demands.

Political violence has convulsed the country in recent months as opposition activists staged attacks, strikes and transportation blockades to press their demands. Nearly 300 people have been killed in political violence since last February.

The European Union, the United States and the British Commonwealth refused to send observers for Sunday's election because they weren't inclusive.

The low turnout for the vote and the attendant violence raise pressure on the Bangladesh government to hold talks with the opposition. The turmoil could also lead to radicalization in a strategic pocket of South Asia, analysts say.

AP-AFP

(China Daily 01/07/2014 page11)