Dhaka, Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina was sworn in
on Sunday for her second straight term as Bangladesh’s prime minister and third
overall, following one of the most violent elections in the country’s history.
Hasina took the oath of office a week after her Awami League party won an
election marred by street fighting, low turnout and an opposition boycott that
made the results a foregone conclusion.
President Abdul
Hamid also swore in 29 Cabinet ministers and 19 deputies. The election was one
of the deadliest since Bangladesh’s 1971 independence, as an opposition
alliance led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s archrival,
attempted to derail the vote by calling weeks of strikes and blockades.
At least 18 people died in election day
violence, and more than 100 polling centers were set on fire. Since last
February, at least 300 people have died in political violence. Zia, leader of
the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, was absent from the swearing-in
ceremony at the presidential house in the capital, Dhaka. Many Western
diplomats attended the ceremony despite a call from the United Nations, the
United States and the European Union for an inclusive election.
The election boycott by Zia’s party means
Hasina’s new government will have no strong opposition in Parliament. The BNP
has vowed to continue trying to force Hasina to step down and allow a caretaker
government to oversee a new election in which the opposition party would take
part.
After she was sworn in, Hasina, who also
served as prime minister from 1996-2001, said she would work to uphold
democracy and would not hesitate to take any measures if a consensus was
reached.
The political gridlock plunges Bangladesh
deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation. The country also is struggling to
reinvigorate its $20 billion garment industry, which has been hit by a series
of horrifying disasters — including a factory collapse last April that killed
more than 1,100 workers.