Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today accused the BNP-led alliance of engaging in violence and carrying out bomb attacks realising imminent election defeat.

"The Jatiya Oikyafront lost its sense seeing huge public support for AL. Now, they are trying to trigger violence," he said after voting at Udayan Kindergarten polling centre in Basurhat municipality in the morning.

About 3,000 AL leaders and activists were injured until Saturday night but there is no report of injury from the opposition party, he claimed.

"The election is being held peacefully except for some stray incidents," Quader said. "I believe the voting will end peacefully ... [and] the people's expectation will be fulfilled."

Quader said he would accept the election result. "I am 100 percent hopeful about the AL-led grand alliance's victory," he said.

Chief Election Commi-ssioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda yesterday said the December 30 national election was recognised as successful by world leaders. 

“No country or international organisation made any negative comment over the polls. It is our victory,” CEC claimed in a post polls views-exchange meeting with the commission's top officials at the EC secretariat in Dhaka.

The CEC also praised EC officials including Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed for his role in holding the 11th parliamentary election.

“The message that Bangladesh held a free and fair election has reached every nook and corner of the world and no one has rejected the polls,” CEC claimed.

During the meeting, CEC also called upon all the officials of the commission to prepare for the upcoming upazila election.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and extended his heartfelt congratulations to her on securing her party’s absolute majority in the 11th parliamentary elections.

“The Indian premier called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at about 10:30am and congratulated her, the Awami League and the people of Bangladesh on securing her party’s absolute majority in the national elections held on Sunday,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

 “The victory of the Awami League in the polls is a reflection of stunning development that Bangladesh attained under your dynamic leadership,” Modi said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee also congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her win in a Twitter post. 

The Indian prime minister assured that his country will continue to support Bangladesh’s development efforts like the past, the press secretary said.

Sheikh Hasina also greeted Narendra Modi and the people of his country. She thanked the Indian premier for making phone and said he is the first head of state or government who congratulated her after her party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections

Hasina is set to become Prime Minister of Bangladesh for a third term. 

The Election Commission will announce next week the election schedule for the 50 reserved seats for women in the 11th parliament, EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said today.

“According to the 11th parliamentary election results, 43 seats will be reserved for Awami League while four for the Jatiya Party, one for Jatiya Oikyafront and two for the independent and other candidates,” Helal Uddin Ahmed told reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon.

Besides, the upazila parishad elections will be held in phases from the first week of March, he added.

The AL-led grand alliance secured 288 seats -- the AL 257, the JP 22 and others 9 -- in the December 30 election. The BNP-led Jatiya Oikyafront got only eight seats.

Re-balloting at three polling centres under Brahmanbaria-2 constituency, where voting was suspended during the December 30 election, will be held today.

In case of 100 percent turnout of 10,574 voters, BNP candidate Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan needs 208 votes while his nearest rival independent contender Moyeenuddin Moyeen needs 10,367 votes to win the election.

The three election centres are Jatrapur Govt Primary School, Bahadurpur Govt Primary School and Sohagpur Dakkhin Govt Primary School.

Re-voting is necessary as the margin of votes between Sattar and Moyeenuddin is 10,159, less than the total votes at the three centres.