A record 151 candidates are set to be elected unopposed to the 300-seat Parliament in Bangladesh following main Opposition BNP’s boycott of the January 5 general elections.
“So far the number is 151, but it could rise as we still await latest reports from Returning Officers in several areas and the number could rise,” an Election Commission spokesman told reporters.
The official said the number of candidates elected unopposed would set a record in the country’s election history. A total of 49 people won without contest during the controversial polls in 1996, which was boycotted by the then main Opposition Awami league led by incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The number of candidates in the remaining 149 seats is also an all-time low.