PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League is all set to return to power in Bangladesh for the fifth term after registering a dominant show in the national elections held on Sunday.

Awami League registered a victory amid a poll boycott call by key opposition party- Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The ruling party won in 181 constituencies, according to unofficial results until 10:47pm on Sunday (Jan 7), reported Somoy TV.

Calling a general strike, BNP and a few other parties refused to participate in Sunday's polls.

Sheikh Hasina wins

PM Sheikh Hasina, 76, who is often regarded as the key leader behind the economic development of the country which was formed in 1971, won the Gopalganj-3 (Tungipara, Kotalipara) constituency after a landslide victory against rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar.

The Awami League president bagged 249,965 votes in 108 centres in the constituency, bdnews24.com reported.

Her closest rival Nizam Lashkar from Bangladesh Supreme Party clinched 469 votes.

She has been voted to parliament from the Gopalganj-3 seat for the eighth time since 1986, the news portal reported.

Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

She is currently the longest-serving female PM in the world.

Bangladesh's political paradigm has been witnessing a contest between Hasina and BNP's Khaleda Zia.

Zia has served as the PM for two terms in her political career.

Convicted in a graft case in 2018, Zia is currently in ailing health at a hospital in Dhaka.

Turnout around 40 pct

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said around 40 percent turnout was registered during Sunday's polls.

The CEC said the turnout may vary as the counting is yet to be completed, reported Prothom Alo.

Shakib wins

Bangladesh's star cricketer and captain Shakib Al Hasan started his political career with a bang by winning the polls from Magura-1 constituency.

He was contesting the polls for Awami League.

He bagged 185,388 votes.