The Awami League is the founding party of Bangladesh. It was the party of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the father of Sheikh Hasina.
Bengalis, whether they are from West Bengal or from Bangladesh, are hellishly sentimental. They hold a very soft corner in their hearts for the founder's party, and he did try to make it into a secular country. He put it into the constitution and people will remember that, especially in the older generation. The younger generation says that it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. They're very cynical. The older people will still lean towards it and they will do it. If they can get to the votes, they will.
This is a strange phenomenon in South Asia. The middle and upper classes didn't used to vote. It's the poor who voted and they like the idea of voting, just as some of them also like the idea of ballot stuffing because they are paid to do it. But people do discuss politics and they do like to vote. It's a strange idea, but they do.