Dhaka  - The new government of Bangladesh will have to be nimble or risk being swept away by the ocean of expectations of an electorate that is demanding improved governance after this week's return to democracy.

In Monday's polls, the Awami League (AL) party, headed by Sheikh Hasina Wazed, won a crushing victory with 262 out of 299 parliamentary seats, defeating arch political rival Khaleda Zia and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The BNP had enjoyed a two- thirds majority in parliament during its 2001-2006 regime.

The election comes after two years during which Bangladesh was run by an unelected government installed after a military coup. A record 87 per cent of the population turned out for the polls.

Hasina is now working on forming her new government. It will have to do a lot of homework to become successful in dealing with the issues ahead, said Atiur Rahman, an economist with Dhaka University.

He says many of the promises made by the incoming Awami League-led alliance seem ambitious, given the nation's limitations in resources, skills and technologies.

Addressing these problems will be a high hurdle for the League, which has been in the opposition camp for most of the time since its inception about 60 years ago, Ataur Rahman, a professor of political science at Dhaka University told dpa.

Ensuring food security of Bangladesh's more than 150 million people, almost half of whom are living below poverty line, and improvement of agrarian economy are other major areas demanding government focus.

The other hard tasks facing the government include: keeping the prices of essential items in an affordable range, developing the country's infrastructure and improving economic governance - all while managing the fallout of the global financial crisis.

Fighting corruption will also remain a key challenge in the days to come for the nation. Bangladesh has topped international lists of the most corrupt countries in recent years.

Zia's BNP was accused of massive corruption, abuse of power, sheltering militants, forging alliance with war criminals and failing to meet the needs of an electorate which bought the BNP to power in 2001. Her regime was also decried by common people for failing to control the prices of essential commodities.

"Failure in fulfilling the people's hope could be politically disastrous for the alliance in the long run," Ataur, a professor of political science at Dhaka University told dpa.

In her election manifesto, titled Charter for Change, Hasina pledges to bring down commodity prices, to try war criminals and inspire the young voters by promising a prosperous digital Bangladesh by 2021.

The ruling alliance will also have to consider the needs of the various parties in its coalition.

"We need united efforts to overcome the challenges," said Rashed Khan Menon, a senior leader of Bangladesh Workers Party and an MP- elect from the AL-led alliance.

Most daily newspapers called Monday's AL win historic. But Matiur Rahman, editor of the major Bengali daily Prothom Alo, said the road ahead is not so smooth. The party has to keep its promise and improve the political culture, which is still full of mistrust and hatred.

In an editorial, the English-language New Age newspaper said the new government will have no option but to hit the ground running. (dpa)