In what is expected to be a landslide victory, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League-led alliance are poised to secure a fourth consecutive term and fifth term overall in the general election held on Sunday. The election, however, was marred by violence and boycotted by the main opposition party.

With voting starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., nearly 120 million voters had the opportunity to choose from almost 2,000 candidates vying for the 300 directly elected parliamentary seats. The election witnessed the highest number of independent candidates, with 436 individuals contesting, the most since 2001.

The boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and some of its smaller allies has led to concerns of virtual one-party rule in the country, according to rights groups. The United States and Western nations, significant customers of Bangladesh's garment industry, have called for a free and fair election.

The BNP has accused the ruling Awami League of propping up "dummy" candidates as independents to maintain the credibility of the election, a claim vehemently denied by the ruling party. In response, the BNP called for a two-day nationwide strike and urged people to boycott the poll.

Prime Minister Hasina, steadfast in her refusal to resign or hand over power to a neutral authority, blamed the opposition for inciting anti-government protests that have rocked Dhaka since late October, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people.

With the outcome of the election largely predetermined and the risk of violence high, voter turnout on Sunday was expected to be low. Ahead of the election, violence erupted, including a passenger train fire, which the government called arson, claiming the lives of four people. Additionally, several polling booths and institutions across the country were set ablaze.

To maintain peace and ensure security during the election, troops have been deployed throughout Bangladesh, while nearly 800,000 police, paramilitary forces, and police auxiliaries have been tasked with guarding polling booths.

Prime Minister Hasina, 76, is credited with transforming Bangladesh's economy and its garment industry during her 15 years in power. However, critics have accused her of authoritarianism, human rights violations, as well as suppressing freedom of speech and dissent.

Meanwhile, the leader of the BNP and former premier, Khaleda Zia, remains under effective house arrest on corruption charges. The opposition claims that these charges have been falsified.

Counting of votes will commence immediately after the closure of polling booths, and preliminary results are expected to be announced by early Monday.