The ruling Awami League was, essentially, the only participant - and swept the polls. More than two-thirds of the seats were uncontested and decided before polling day.

The major opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its alliesboycotted the poll, alleging free and fair elections could not be held under Awami rule, and calling for a caretaker administration to oversee polling.

But the lead-up to and the aftermath of the elections have been violent and destructive. More than 150 people have been killed on the streets of Bangladesh, mainly in the capital Dhaka, and the country’s fragile economy has been battered by regular hartals – nationwide shutdowns – in which roaming gangs terrorise cities, setting fire to buildings and cars, and attacking anyone who tries to move.

Eighteen people were killed on election day, many of them shot by police, according to local reports, and more than 500 polling stations had to be closed because of violence and arson.

Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said both the Awami League and BNP were responsible for the violence and instability.

“The government and the opposition must take up their shared responsibility to hold a new, fully-contested and transparent election as soon as possible. It is vital that the people of Bangladesh are able to express their democratic will and exercise real choice.”

Australia has raised its travel advice level for Bangladesh to "reconsider your need to travel".

US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said: “We believe Bangladesh still has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to democracy by organising free and fair elections that are credible in the eyes of the Bangladeshi people.”

The European Union and UN urged Bangladesh to find a credible political solution to the current impasse.

The two most powerful women in Bangladesh – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed from the Awami League and former prime minister Khaleda Zia from the BNP – are the daughter and widow respectively of two of Bangladesh’s independence leaders. The women despise each other, and their two parties are at almost-continuous war.

Politics have a violent history in Bangladesh. Parties in power routinely pursue political opponents, having them jailed or killed, and cling desperately on to power, fearing retribution if they ever relinquish it.

Human Rights Watch said the Awami League was crushing all political opposition in the country.

“The ruling party keeps saying it welcomes dialogue with the opposition, but in light of the ongoing crackdowns, it is impossible to take that statement seriously,” Asia director Brad Adams said. “To resolve the current political deadlock, all parties have to make commitments to end political violence, while the international community needs to ramp up pressure for a political settlement that involves a credible election.”

@SouthAsiaCorro