Hat-trick for Hasina

Bangladesh's one-sided poll result poses new challenges

It did not take long for the results of the general election in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to become clear: It was a landslide in favour of the ruling Awami League, which won a record third consecutive term, taking, along with its allies, 288 of the country’s 298 parliamentary seats on offer. The opposition coalition, led by the Bangladesh National Party, or BNP, was nearly wiped out. When the result was so one-sided, the exact numbers barely matter.

But, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's so complete a victory has strengthened the argument of those who argue that the elections were a