Voting underway in Bangladesh as Hasina seeks another term

The key battle is between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, her alliances and the oppositon Jatiyo Oikyo Front which among other parties also combines the BNP (Bangladesh National Party) of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who is now serving term in a prison in Dhaka on corruption charges.

Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founding father and first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who was assassinated in 1975, is looking forward to coming to power in the Muslim-majority country for the third straight term.

Hasina is riding on the impressive economic growth which the country has witnessed during her tenure as the PM.

According to The Daily Star of Bangladesh, the election is important because after 10 years the nation is witnessing an election that is being held in participation of all the major political parties.

The polls in January 2014 saw boycott by the main opposition BNP when 153 constituencies were uncontested.

Sheikh Hasina remained in rule for two consecutive terms with the parliamentary opposition of Jatiya Party, which earlier took part in the cabinet of Awami League.

"We believe in democracy and we will accept the people's mandate," Hasina said as the votes are being held amid allegations of gagging the Opposition, violence and intimidation.

Besides the economic progress of Bangladesh, Hasina also was applauded for acting tough after a deadly Islamic State attack in the capital Dhaka's diplomatic area in July 2016, claiming several lives.

She also earned accolades for sheltiering hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled there from neighbouring Myanmar.  

Voting began at 8 am after days of campaigning where Sheikh Hasina herself led her party to seek people's vote for another term in office. Reports said some 600,000 security personnel have been deployed across Bangladesh to maintain order during the polling.

Sheikh Hasina has already cast her vote in Dhaka City College polling centre in the capital city.

Awami League tweeted: "At 8:00 am, #Bangladesh Prime Minister #SheikhHasina cast her vote at the Dhaka City College polling centre. Following voting, the Awami League President expressed optimism that “Pro-Liberation forces will win.” #BangladeshElection2018."

Hasina has expressed her confidence that her party will win in the polls.

At least 21.5 million young voters between 18 and 28 years are expected to exercise their franchise in over 40,000 polling centres across the nation in the eleventh general elections hosted by the nation since its independence in 1971.