In Pictures

Bangladesh holds election to keep PM Sheikh Hasina in power

Counting is under way in polls held to pave the way for PM Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League to seize a fourth consecutive term.

People wait outside polling station to cast their votes in Jurain, Dhaka. — People wait outside a polling station to cast their votes in Jurain, Dhaka. Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the controversial polls. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Polls have closed and counting is under way in Bangladesh’s general election, marked by a low voter turnout and a boycott by the opposition and its allies.

Sunday’s “one-sided” vote, as the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) put it, is set to keep Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in power for the fourth straight and overall fifth term.

It was the 12th general election in the nation of 170 million people since it seceded from Pakistan and became an independent state in 1971.

The opposition announced its boycott of the vote last year after Hasina refused to step down and make way for a neutral caretaker government to conduct the election. There was a similar boycott by the opposition in 2014.

The turnout was about 40 percent, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal said, almost half of the more than 80 percent in the 2018 election. Initial results are expected early on Monday.

“The key question in this election is not who will win – the result is predetermined – but rather a test of its credibility,” said Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from the capital Dhaka.

Bangladesh elections — The opposition party called the election a "sham" as it held a two-day general strike, asking people not to participate in the ballot. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

People at a polling station — The voting process was "very quiet and peaceful", according to an official election observer. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Bangladeshi people casting their votes at a polling station in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh. — Voter turnout was around 40 percent, compared to more than 80 percent in 2018. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Polling in Jurain area in Dhaka — A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Dhaka's Jurain area. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]