Bangladesh Holds First Elections Since State of Emergency

Bangladesh held its first elections since the army seized control of the government last year as voting began in local polls – part of a road map to restore "full democracy" in the country by December this year.

Amid tight security, voting booths opened early today in four cities and nine towns. The Muslim-majority nation of 150 million is under a state of emergency that has been criticized by human rights groups for jailing political activists.

The elections are the first in the country's history to use a digital voter list with photographs to avoid ballot box stuffing, rigging and false papers – problems which have led to accusations of stolen elections in years past.

Accusations of vote-rigging precipitated the army takeover of power and imposition of a state of emergency in January 2007.

The new government claims that its list now contains no fake voters. More than one million people are eligible to vote in the elections in four cities – each with populations of a million people - and nine large towns.

Bangladesh's two major parties, which have dominated the politics of the country for two decades, are attempting to recapture much of their popularity during the polls before the general election in December. However both parties have been mired in corruption charges – and this round of voting will only see candidates contest as independents.

The government freed Awami League leader, Sheik Hasina Wajed, in June, and she left the country for medical treatment. She had faced graft cases but analysts saw her departure as a part of an "exile deal".

But BNP leader Khaleda Zia, another former premier, is still in detention on charges of corruption.

The army-backed regime has made anti-graft prosecutions a central policy plank. Bangladesh remains one of the world's most corrupt countries, according to watchdog Transparency International. The interim government says it will offer partial amnesties in return for information about corrupt deals.