Hasina wins Bangladesh's 1st election in 7 years

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-30 17:22

Dozens of former ministers in Zia's government lost, including chief of the Islamic fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Supporters of the Awami League shout slogans at a polling station in Dhaka December 29, 2008. [Agencies]

Voting at some polling stations had been temporarily suspended due to allegations of irregularities, and results from some districts were not expected until late Tuesday.

Rizvi Ahmed, a senior official in Zia's party said there were incidents of ballot rigging and forgery in 220 polling stations, including election officials registering fake votes. He also accused police of pressuring people to vote for Hasina's candidates.

He said his party has lodged formal complaints to the Election Commission. Commission secretary Humayun Kabir said the agency would investigate the allegations.

The voting Monday was the most peaceful in decades, a stark contrast to the failed elections of 2007, which dissolved into street riots and prompted a military-backed interim government to declare emergency rule.

Voter turnout was high, with about 80 percent of the 81 million eligible voters casting ballots, according to Kabir.

"I'm here to choose the right person to lead our country," said S.A. Quader, a 57-year-old businessman who voted in Dhaka. "I'm confident the election will be free and fair."

Last year, both Zia and Hasina were jailed on corruption charges, which they dismissed as politically motivated. They were freed on bail and reassumed positions as the heads of their respective parties, the two largest in the country.

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