DHAKA: The ruling Awami League in Bangladesh won the parliamentary elections which were conducted on Sunday to elect 147 members of the parliament amid opposition boycott, heavy security and violent incidents.
The initial results of 126 contested seats showed that the party led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina grabbed 98 seats, while Jatiya party won 11 seats and 17 others candidates also remained successful.
A final result is expected to be announced later on Monday.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led opposition parties boycotted the elections and urged voters to stay away from polling stations, a move that undermined the legitimacy of the vote.
Likewise, the European Union, the United States and the Commonwealth refused to send election observers.
The BNP also extended a general strike until Wednesday as it pressed Dhaka to declare the vote null and void.
On election day, as many as 18 persons were killed in separate incidents while hundreds of polling stations came under attack from opposition supporters.
