Bangladesh Elections 'Not Free Or Fair': US On Violence-Marred Polls Amid Oppn Boycott

The US State Department said in a statement that it is of the view that elections in Bangladesh were not free and fair amid poll violence and a boycott by the Opposition parties.

The United States on Monday said that it is of the view that the general elections held in Bangladesh on Sunday were not free and fair in view of the violence leading up to the polls and a boycott by the Opposition parties. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina secured a fourth term on Sunday after her party Awami League won two-thirds of the seats in the general elections. 

The polls were marred by violence and a 48-hour nationwide general strike by the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on the polling day. The strike called by BNP and other like-minded parties urged the voters to shun the election to mark the beginning of an end of what it calls a "fascist government."

In a press statement on Monday, the US Department of State said: "The US remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day.  The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated."

It also condemned the pre poll violence and urged the Goverment of Bangladesh to "credibly investigate" reports of violence and hold the perpetrators to account. 

"We also urge all political parties to reject violence," the statement added.

Prior to the polls, several incidents of arson were reported from across the country. On Friday, a passenger train was torched killing four people while miscreants also set ablze around 14 polling station across the country on Friday and Saturday.