Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League party are positioned to win a fourth straight term in todays general election, which the main opposition is boycotting. The 76-year-old Hasina emphasised strong India ties while saying that India is a trusted friend as voting began in the South Asian nation.India a Trusted FriendWhen asked about India on this significant election day, Hasina fondly recalled their support during Bangladeshs violent 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. She praised India for giving her family refuge in 1975 when she lost relatives in a military coup.We are very lucky. India is our trusted friend. During our Liberation War, they supported us. After 1975, when we lost our whole family, they gave us shelter. Our best wishes to the people of India.As neighbours India and Bangladesh has shared closed historical, cultural and economic tries, which I believed to have strengthened in the recent times.The bilateral India-Bangladesh relationship has strengthened under Hasina and PM Modis leadership across connectivity, trade, border issues and more, due to frequent personal interactions between the two leaders.Opposition boycotts electionHasina has rejected demands from rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to resign and allow a neutral caretaker government to oversee voting. Subsequently, BNP and its exiled former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia have boycotted the election amid allegations of vote rigging and intimidation.Sporadic violence and heated rhetoric was seen in the days leading to the poll as several polling booths were set on fire on election eve.Economic growth under PM HasinaWhile Hasinas administration is credited with spurring Bangladeshs exceptional poverty reduction and growth trajectory, it also faces accusations of authoritarianism, human rights violations, and suppression of dissent voices. Howver the longtime PM has denied these charges.
