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Hasina 'leads in Bangladesh poll' Hasina 'leads in Bangladesh poll'
(about 1 hour later)
Early unofficial results from Bangladesh's election suggest ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is ahead, party and election officials say. Early unofficial results from elections in Bangladesh suggest former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is set for a substantial win.
"We are heading for a majority,"Awami League spokesman Abdul Kalam Azad was quoted as saying. But the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Khaleda Zia, says it is too early for anyone to claim victory.
Sheikh Hasina and her bitter rival Khaleda Zia, who both dominated politics for years, are vying for power after two years of army-backed rule. Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia have dominated politics for years and are again vying for power after two years of army-backed rule.
The Election Commission hopes to announce results in the next few hours. Voting was peaceful and turnout high in the first election for seven years.
There was tight security during polling to replace the interim government imposed by the army, with about 50,000 soldiers and 600,000 police deployed to guard against election fraud and violence. The BBC's Mark Dummett in the capital, Dhaka, says although final results of the parliamentary poll will not be known for some hours, supporters of the Awami League are already celebrating what could be a landslide victory.
Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have between them ruled Bangladesh for years. Tight security
Both leaders were jailed for suspected corruption but released to contest the vote. Election officials said the Awami League led its rivals by 84 seats to 16 in unofficial results and was ahead in many other constituencies of the 300-seat parliament, the Reuters news agency reports.
In pictures: Bangladesh votesBattle of familiar foes'Joyous atmosphere' "We are heading for a majority," Awami League spokesman Abdul Kalam Azad was quoted as saying by other agencies.
But this has been dismissed by a spokesman for the BNP, who has also complained of irregularities at the polls.
Election officials say more than 70% of Bangladesh's 81 million voters are thought to have cast their ballots in a poll intended to return the country to democracy after two years of rule by a military-backed government.
Security was tight throughout the day, with about 50,000 soldiers and 600,000 police deployed to guard against election fraud and violence.
Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia - both former prime ministers - were jailed for suspected corruption but released to contest the vote.
During campaigning, the two rivals pledged to lower food prices, and to tackle corruption and terrorism in the nation of 144 million people.During campaigning, the two rivals pledged to lower food prices, and to tackle corruption and terrorism in the nation of 144 million people.
Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia also both promised to end the confrontation, strikes and violent street rallies that have marked Bangladeshi politics for years. The two women alternated in power for 15 years until 2006.Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia also both promised to end the confrontation, strikes and violent street rallies that have marked Bangladeshi politics for years. The two women alternated in power for 15 years until 2006.
Anti-corruption driveAnti-corruption drive
Long queues formed as Bangladeshis began to vote at the country's 35,000 heavily guarded polling stations. No serious violence was reported during the election, and our correspondent says the mood at a polling station he visited was festive.
class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7802562.stm">In pictures: Bangladesh votes class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7798187.stm">Battle of familiar foes class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7802911.stm">'Joyous atmosphere' Some 200,000 electoral observers, including 2,500 from abroad, monitored the national vote.
The BBC's Mark Dummett in the capital, Dhaka, said the mood at the polling station he visited - at Dhaka University - was festive, with a lot of enthusiasm to see the end of the military-backed government.
No serious violence was reported.
Sheikh Hasina cast her vote shortly after polling started.
"We have waited so long... but [are] feeling good the election is held at last," she said.
Khaleda Zia voted in the capital some time later.
She said: "If the polling is free and fair, I am sure we will win a two-thirds majority like in 2001. I am ready to accept the results if the election is free and fair."
Some 200,000 electoral observers, including 2,500 from abroad, were monitoring the national vote.
The army cancelled elections due in January 2007 after months of street protests and battles between gangs of rival party supporters spiralled out of control.The army cancelled elections due in January 2007 after months of street protests and battles between gangs of rival party supporters spiralled out of control.
The army-backed caretaker government then tried to root out corruption from the country's elites.The army-backed caretaker government then tried to root out corruption from the country's elites.
Our correspondent says the newly-empowered Anti-Corruption Commission sought to prosecute the top politicians and businessmen who had earned Bangladesh its reputation as one of the world's most corrupt countries.Our correspondent says the newly-empowered Anti-Corruption Commission sought to prosecute the top politicians and businessmen who had earned Bangladesh its reputation as one of the world's most corrupt countries.
More than 11 million phoney names were purged from the voter roll, which now numbers about 81 million people. More than 11 million phoney names were purged from the voter roll.
A simple majority of the parliament's 300 seats is enough to secure victory, but analysts say no clear winner may emerge, leading to fears of unrest if supporters of the rival parties take to the streets. A simple majority of the parliament's 300 seats is enough to secure victory, but analysts say if no clear winner emerges, it could lead to fears of unrest if supporters of the rival parties take to the streets.