Bangladeshis head to to the polls

Tens of millions of Bangladeshis streamed to the polls to vote in an election that will return the country to democracy after two years of emergency rule. A public holiday was called for the vote that tests whether the country can move beyond a history of political violence. Both leading candidates have pledged strong action to crack down on violent extremists amid fears an increasingly violent Islamist militant minority in the South Asia nation could provide support and shelter for radical activists in their own countries. Candidates also made populist promises to hold down prices and promote growth in a country of 140 million people where 45 per cent of the people are below the poverty line. An alliance led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League is said to have the edge in the vote for 300 parliament seats. There are predictions neither she nor rival and fellow ex-PM Begum Khaleda Zia will win an outright majority in a country where parties are based more on personality than rigid ideologies. Ms Khaleda, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), voted at a centre near her home around midday. "If the election is free and fair, Inshallah (God willing) we will win and form the next government," she said. Cheerful voters waited as long as an hour in line to cast their ballots while others who were finished stayed on the streets to chat. Men and women, many of the latter in brightly coloured saris and head scarves, voted at separate sites. Past elections have been marked by widespread fraud and violence, and party supporters have often taken to the streets for protests, strikes and confrontations ahead and after votes. The outgoing army-backed interim government took over amidst such political violence in January 2007 and cancelled an election due that month, making the poll the first in seven years.

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ITN | December 29, 2008

Tags:. .inshallah. .begum. .scarves. .populist. .zia