Dhaka  - Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance of former premier Sheikh Hasina Wazed was heading for a landslide victory in Monday's general elections, according to results coming in to the Election Commission from across the country.

Out of 299 seats, the alliance won the 151 necessary to form a government, and was leading in most of the remaining constituencies. Political analysts said the number of Awami League-led alliance seats in parliament may surpass 200.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance of former premier Khaleda Zia won only 16 seats, according to the latest tally by the commission.

The BNP-led alliance had formed the previous government after an overwhelming two-third majority in parliament in 2001 elections.

The Awami League thanked those who supported it in the elections, which are to bring the country back to democracy ending two years of emergency rule.

But the party called its leaders and supporters across the country not to begin any victory processions until the official result was gazetted.

The Election Commission was broadcasting live election results from its premises through radio and television channels as soon as they reached the centre.

"We will continue airing live the results throughout the night, if needed until Tuesday morning," commission secretary Humayun Kabir said.

A festive atmosphere had marked the landmark poll, as voters turned out in high numbers amid tight security to elect a new democratic government. Balloting was generally peaceful, according to election officials and poll observers.

Officials said Bangladeshis were generally enthusiastic to cast their vote despite reports of a few violent incidents during the polls that reportedly left at least 20 people injured. The government had declared the day a public holiday to facilitate voting.

But the BNP at a press briefing alleged that its supporters at different polling stations were intimidated. They also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.

Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda said earlier that the election was generally peaceful. "There has been hardly any report of violence during the voting," he said, adding that he hoped voter turnout would be above 75 per cent.

Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, chief of the National Election Monitoring Council, which deployed election observers across the country, said voter turnout was very strong.

"Field level observers reported on average a 70 per cent turnout," Ahsan said. The exact figure would be available after the complete results were in.

People were seen waiting in long queues at polling stations from daybreak.

The election was originally scheduled for January 2007, but was postponed following the declaration of a state of emergency in the wake of political violence. The country has been under the rule of a military-backed caretaker government since then.

Casting his vote at a city polling station, the head of the interim administration, Fakhruddin Ahmed, said his government had been waiting for the day when the people could vote without fear.

He called on the parties to accept the people's verdict and electors to choose honest and competent representatives to parliament.

Two former prime ministers - Sheikh Hasina Wazed and Khaleda Zia - the heads of rival political alliances also cast their votes and visited a number of polling centres.

Hasina alleged irregularities in many polling centres while Zia said the polling was "so far so good."

Bangladesh's army chief Moeen U Ahmed, who had reportedly played a crucial role in the January 2007 political changeover, said he hoped that the parties would respect the people's choice.

The election is taking place in 299 out of 300 parliamentary constituencies as the Election Commission earlier postponed polling in one area following the death of a candidate.

Huda said he hoped for a credible election to return the country to democracy. In a televised speech on Sunday, he assured that all necessary preparations for a free and fair election were made, inviting everyone to apply their voting rights without fear.

The government deployed as many as 650,000 police and army officers across the country to prevent violence (dpa)