AL reposes hope in low turnout predictable polls results

Bangladesh Swami League logo.

Dhaka, Jan 07 - The Awami League won a two-thirds majority for the fourth election in a row on Sunday, marked by low turnout and largely peaceful voting in 299 out of 300 constituencies. 

Ruling party candidates won in 222 seats in Sunday's voting, while independent candidates - most of them dummies from the AL- won 62 seats. 

Besides, Jatiya Party got 11 seats and three candidates from as many parties – Bangladesh Workers’ Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-Jasod and Bangladesh Kalyan Party— won in their respective constituencies. 

The Election Commission secretary reported turnout was 27.15 percent till 3:00pm, but after voting closed at 4:00pm, the Chief Election Commissioner estimated the final turnout could stand at around 40 percent, which would require a big 13 percent jump in an hour. 

The final turnout figure has not been released. 

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at Dhaka City College in the capital this morning. She ran however in the Gopalganj-3 constituency, where she bagged victory with 2,49,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lascar from Bangladesh Supreme Party secured 469 votes, said Returning officer of the district Kazi Mahbubul Alam. 

She is now set to extend her run for the 5th term including 4 consecutively as Bangladesh’s prime minister. 

Some heavyweight candidates who lost the election are Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, Workers' Party's Fazle Hossain Badsha, Jatiyo Party's Sharifa Quader, Krishak Sramik Janata League's Kader Siddiqi, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Hasanul Haque Inu, and Awami League candidates State Minister for Civil Aviation Mahbub Ali, LGRD State Minister Swapan Bhattacharjee, State Minister for Environment and Forest Enamur Rahman, Momtaz Begum MP and Mrinal Kanti Das MP. 

The Election Commission decided to cancel the candidature of Chittagong-16 Awami League candidate Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury in the morning for threatening the law enforcement agencies. 

Voting was by-and-large peaceful, with suspensions in just 7 out of almost 42,000 centres across the 299 seats. The vote in one constituency had been postponed after the death of a candidate. 

The results of the election were a mostly foregone conclusions as the main opposition BNP, the only party comparable to AL in terms of support and previous governing experience, refused to participate along with 61 other parties demanding election under a nonpartisan government. 

The 11 JP contestants who were elected are Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in Thakurgaon- 3, Ghulam Mohammad Quader (JP Chairman GM Quader) in Rangpur-3, AKM Mustafizur Rahman in Kurigram- 1, Shariful Islam Jennah in Bogura-2, Md Ashrafuzzaman in Sathkhira-2, ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader in Patuakhlai-1, Ghulam Kibria Tipu in Barishal-3, Md Mujibul Haque (JP secretary general) in Kishoreganj- 3, Selim Osman in Narayanganj- 5, Masud Uddin Chowdhury in Feni- 3 and Anisul Islam Mahmud in Chhatogram- 5. 

The 62 independent candidates who were elected include Zakaria in Dinajpur-1, Saddam Hossain Pavel in Nilphamari-3, Siddiqul Alam in Nilphamari-4, Asaduzzaman Bablu in Rangpur- 1, Zakir Hossain in Rangpur-5, Hamidul Khandaker in Kurigram-2, Abdullah Nahid Nigar in Gaibandha-1, Shah Sarwar Kabir in Gaibandha-2, Shafiqur Rahman Badsha in Rajshahi-2, Abul Kalam Azad in Natore-1, SM Brohani Sultan Mahmud in Naogaon-4, Omar Faruk Sumon in Naogain-6, Khan Muhammad Saifullah Al Mehdi in Bogura-3, Rezaul Haque Chowdhury in Kushtia-1, Kamarul Arefin in Kushtia-2, Abdur Rouf  in Kushtia-4, Naser Shahriar Jahedi in Jhenaidah-2, Yakub Ali in Jashore-5, Azizul Islam in Jashore-6, Mohiuddin Moharaj in Pirojpur-2, Shamim Shahnewaz in Pirojpur-3, Golam Sarwar Tuku in Barguna-1, Pankaj Nath in Barishal-4, Mahmudul Haque Sayeem in Mymensingh-1, Nazrul Islam in Mymensingh-5, Abdul Malek Sarkar in Mymensingh-6, ABM Anisuzzaman in Mymensingh-7, Mahmud Hasan Sumon in Mymensingh-8, Abdul Wahed in Mymensingh-11, Abdur Rashid in Jamalpur-4, Iftekhar Uddin Talukder Pintu in Netrakona-3 and Sanoar Hossain Sanu in Sherpur-1. 

The elected independent contenders also include Amanur Rahman Khan Rana in Tangail-3, Abdul Latif Siddique in Tangail-4, Sanowar Hossain in Tangail-5, Salahuddin Mahmud in Manikganj-1, Dewan Jahid Ahmed Tulu in Manikganj-2, Akhteruzzaman in Gazipur-5, Awlad Hossain in Dhaka-4, Mashiur Rahman Mollah in Dhaka-5, Khasru Chowdhury in Dhaka-18, Saiful Islam in Dhaka-19, Mohammad Foysal in Munshiganj-3,  AK Azad in Faridpur-3, Mujibur Rahman CHowdury Nixon in Faridpur-4, Tahmina Begum in Madaripur-3, Sirajul Islam Mollah in Narsingdi-3, Sohrab Uddin in Kishoreganj-2, Joya Sengupta  in Sunamganj-2, Mohammad Husamuzzaman Chowdhury in Sylhet-5, Amatul Kibria Keya Chowdhury in Habiganj- 1, Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon in Habiganj-4, Syed Ekramuzzaman in Brahmanbaria-1, Moin Uddin in Brahmanbaria- 2, Abdul Majid in Cumilla-2, Jahangir Alam Sarkar in Cumilla-3, Abul Kalam Azad in Cumilla-4, Abu Jaher in Cumilla-5, Md Abdullah in Lakshmipur-4, Abdus Salam in Chattogram-8, Abdul Motaleb in Chattogram-15 and Mujibur Rahman in Chattogram-16. 

Besides, Workers Party Chairman Rashed Khan Menon was unofficially elected in Barishal-2, while Bangladesh Kalyan Party chairman Syed Muhammad Ibrahim in Cox’s Bazar-1 and Jasod candidate AKM Rezaul Karim Tansen in Bogura-4. 

The Sunday’s balloting was held in 299 constituencies out of 300 ones as the Election Commission earlier postponed the election to Naogaon-2 following the death of a candidate. - UNB