Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday rejected calls for a new vote after being declared landslide winner in an election marred by deadly violence that the opposition slammed as “farcical” and rigged. The opposition said the unrest was stirred up to deter voters but the election commission reported 80 percent turnout. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first international leader to call and congratulate Hasina, the Bangladesh leader’s press secretary said. “This result might affect our democratic system and might also damage state institutions,” Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner, told AFP. The opposition claims some 21,000 of its activists were detained during the campaign, crushing its ability to mobilize support.

Source: Egypt Independent December 31, 2018 19:07 UTC