Bangladesh elections were not free or fair, says United States

The United States on Monday said that it shares the view expressed by observers that the general elections held in Bangladesh on Sunday were not free or fair.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League won the polls to secure a fourth consecutive term in the country. The party won 222 out of the 300 elected seats in Parliament.

However, with the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotting the elections, the Awami League did not face any significant competition in the seats it contested. The Awami Party chose not to field candidates in some constituencies to avoid Parliament being seen as a one-party institution.

On Monday the United States’ State Department said that it regretted that not all parties had participated in the elections.

Matthew Miller, the spokesperson of the US state department, said that Washington condemns the violence that took place during the election and in the months leading up to it.

“We encourage the government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable,” Miller said. “We also urge all political parties to reject violence.”

In the run-up to the polls, Bangladesh had reported several incidents of violence and several Opposition leaders were arrested.

Violent clashes had erupted in the country on October 28 as supporters of the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime...

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