By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief

SHEIKH Hasina Wajed has led her party to a landslide win in national elections in Bangladesh, paving the way for the South Asian nation to revert to democracy after two years of military-backed rule.

The fairest and most peaceful elections in recent memory produced a stunning victory for her Awami League Party, holding forth the prospect that it would be able to administer the country without the deep discord typical of Bangladeshi politics.

The League and its smaller allies grabbed 263 of the 300 seats contested. While the League has enough seats to rule without outside support, Sheikh Hasina, 61, is expected to offer ministerial berths to her smaller allies, people familiar with her thinking said.

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