Bangladesh election: Russia and China cheers Hasina as experts eye US move

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina once joined her rivals in a fight to restore democracy but her long reign in power has been marked by arrests of opposition leaders, crackdowns on free speech and suppression of dissent.

Analysts express uncertainty about the future, particularly Dhaka's strained ties with the West. The US had a critical stance pre-election, while China and Russia swiftly supported Hasina's victory.

Hasina, 76, won a fourth straight term and fifth overall in power by sweeping Sunday's general election, which was boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for the second time in the last three polls.