• Source:JND
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The United States (US), while reacting to the recently concluded general election in Bangladesh, said the polls were not ‘free and fair’ and the arrest of key Opposition politicians was a matter of great concern. The US also expressed its displeasure as many parties voluntarily boycotted the polls and did not participate in the exercise. 

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina managed to secure a fourth straight term after her Awami League party swept the election with a clear majority by amassing more than half of the seats. 

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"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," the US Department of State said in a statement.

However, the US noted Hasina-led Awami League party won more than half Parliamentary seats in the country. "The United States notes the Awami League party won a majority of seats in the January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections," the statement said.

The US expressed concerns over the arrest of opposition leaders and also condemned the incidents of violence in the backdrop of polls. It also asked the Bangladesh government to probe the incidents. “The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on election day. We encourage the Government of Bangladesh to credibly investigate reports of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. We also urge all political parties to reject violence," the statement read. 

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Notably, Hasina’s Awami League won five constituencies amid a boycott by the BNP and 15 other parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Hasina after her resounding victory. “Spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and congratulated her on her victory for a historic fourth consecutive term in the Parliamentary elections. I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh for the successful conduct of elections. We are committed to further strengthen our enduring and people-centric partnership with Bangladesh,” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).