DACCA: Early returns in the Bangladesh general election today [March 7] confirm the expectation that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League will win a landslide victory in the 300-seat single-chamber Parliament. The League is leading in all but one of the first 25 constituencies from which partial returns are available. Mr Mujibur Rahman himself has polled 24,246 votes to 3,999 for his main opponent in one Dacca constituency.

According to preliminary reports reaching here, the candidates of the ruling party in all the districts were ahead of their rivals. Rough estimates put the turnout for the election since Bangladesh became independent 15 months ago at probably below 50 per cent of the 35 million registered voters, about 48 per cent of whom are women. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Kuala Lumpur,] Secretary-General of the Islamic Conference, Tengku Abdul Rahman, has suggested the formation of an all-Muslim third world group. The former Malaysian Prime Minister made the suggestion in an interview with … Radio Malaysia in Jeddah. Such a grouping will enable Muslim countries to co-operate with each other in the economic field and at the same time consolidate their relations politically.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2023