BANGLADESH : Opposition Party Leading in Election

The opposition Awami League, led by Hasina Wajed, maintained a steady lead over former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party with more than half the votes counted from the general election, which saw a huge turnout. Seven people were killed and more than 200 hurt in election violence, but Western and Asian monitors said the voting was orderly in most places. A smooth election and a result accepted by the main contenders would be a boost for democracy in a nation that has spent much of its 25 years of independence under military rule.