Nationalists set for landslide election victory in Bangladesh

An alliance of right-wing and fundamentalist Islamic parties, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, appears set for a landslide victory in Bangladesh’s general election.

Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the largest in a four-party coalition, won 186 of the 250 seats, according to unofficial results announced by state television.

The Islamic fundamentalist party Jamaat-e-Islami, which supports Osama bin Laden, won 16 seats.

The BNP has expressed support for the United States’ so-called "war on terrorism" but it is unclear if its coalition partners in Jamaat will agree with this stance.