Politics of Bangladesh
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Politics of Bangladesh | |
---|---|
Unicameral | |
Meeting place | Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban |
Presiding officer | Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker |
Executive branch | |
Head of State | |
Title | President of Bangladesh |
Currently | Mohammed Shahabuddin |
Appointer | Parliament |
Head of Government | |
Title | Prime Minister |
Currently | Sheikh Hasina |
Appointer | President |
Cabinet | |
Name | Cabinet of Bangladesh |
Current cabinet | Fifth Hasina cabinet |
Leader | Prime Minister |
Appointer | President |
Headquarters | Bangladesh Secretariat |
Ministries | 36 |
Judicial branch | |
Name | Judiciary of Bangladesh |
Supreme Court of Bangladesh | |
Chief judge | Obaidul Hassan |
Seat | Supreme Court Building |
This article is part of a series on the |
Politics of the People's Republic of Bangladesh |
---|
Bangladesh portal |
Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a
The current parliamentary system was adopted in 1991. Between 1975 and 1990 the nation experienced military rule. A caretaker government was first introduced in 1990 after the resignation of military dictator Lieutenant General
The
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President | Mohammed Shahabuddin | Awami League
|
24 April 2023 |
Prime Minister | Sheikh Hasina | Awami League
|
6 January 2009 |
Parliament Speaker | Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury | Awami League
|
30 April 2013 |
Chief Justice | Obaidul Hassan | Nonpartisan
|
26 September 2023 |
Political parties and elections
The three
Three radical Islamist parties,
The 1970 Pakistani National Assembly election was held on 7 December 1970. The total number of voters were 29,479,386. The number of casting votes was 17,005,163 (57.68%), the valid casting votes was 1,64,54,278.[6]
Party | Votes | % | Seats |
---|---|---|---|
Awami League | 12,338,921 | 74.9 | 160 |
Jamaat-e-Islami | 991,908 | 6.0 | 0 |
PPP | 483,571 | 2.9 | 1 |
Pakistan Muslim League (Convention) | 464,185 | 2.8 | 0 |
National Awami Party (Wali) | 310,986 | 1.8 | 0 |
Pakistan Muslim League (Kou) | 274,453 | 1.6 | 0 |
Pakistan Muslim League (Kayum) | 175,822 | 1.0 | 0 |
Independent | 561,083 | 3.4 | 1 |
The 1970 East Pakistan Provincial Council election was held on 17 December 1970. The percentage of casting votes was (57.69%), and the number of reserved women seat was 10.[7]
Party | Seats | |
---|---|---|
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan | 1 | |
Nizam-e-Islam Party | 1 | |
Independents | 7 | |
Total | 300 | |
Source: Baxter[8] |
The 1973 general election was held on 7 March 1973. There were 15 seats reserved for women.[9]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Awami League | 13,798,717 | 73.20 | 293 | 15 | 308 | +10 | ||
National Awami Party (Muzaffar) | 1,569,299 | 8.32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 1,229,110 | 6.52 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Bhashani) | 1,002,771 | 5.32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya League | 62,354 | 0.33 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | ||
Bangla Jatiya League | 53,097 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 47,211 | 0.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal | 38,421 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Communist Party (Leninist) | 18,619 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Shramik Federation | 17,271 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Banglar Communist Party | 11,911 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangla Chattra Union | 7,564 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya Congress | 3,761 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Ganatantrik Dal | 1,818 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Independents | 989,884 | 5.25 | 5 | 0 | 5 | –2 | ||
Total | 18,851,808 | 100.00 | 300 | 15 | 315 | +5 | ||
Valid votes | 18,851,808 | 97.53 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 477,875 | 2.47 | ||||||
Total votes | 19,329,683 | 100.00 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 35,205,642 | 54.91 | ||||||
Source: Nohlen et al., Government of Bangladesh, Kumar Panday |
District | BAL | NAP-M | NAP-B | JSD | Others |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rangpur | 77.03 | 10.56 | 6.39 | 1.51 | 4.50 |
Dinajpur | 78.52 | 8.30 | 4.56 | 0.76 | 7.86 |
Bogra | 74.91 | 16.94 | 2.20 | 2.23 | 3.66 |
Rajshahi | 74.93 | 8.95 | 4.23 | 8.45 | 3.44 |
Pabna | 84.89 | 4.72 | 1.35 | 4.59 | 4.45 |
Kushtia | 76.03 | 10.10 | 7.59 | 6.28 | – |
Jessore | 77.44 | 3.29 | 9.14 | 6.33 | 3.80 |
Khulna | 74.03 | 3.19 | 12.71 | 5.91 | 4.16 |
Patuakhali | 73.14 | 14.07 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 10.61 |
Bakerganj | 71.21 | 7.92 | 8.47 | 10.25 | 2.15 |
Tangail | 56.42 | 5.28 | 16.82 | 19.44 | 2.03 |
Mymensingh | 71.44 | 15.02 | 1.15 | 8.74 | 3.65 |
Dacca | 76.05 | 7.37 | 3.51 | 5.62 | 7.45 |
Faridpur | 87.90 | 3.42 | 0.81 | 2.76 | 5.10 |
Sylhet | 67.70 | 14.40 | 3.56 | 4.79 | 9.55 |
Comilla | 70.09 | 7.44 | 2.89 | 3.70 | 15.88 |
Noakhali | 64.88 | 2.26 | 2.14 | 20.41 | 10.31 |
Chittagong | 61.73 | 7.57 | 13.78 | 12.01 | 4.92 |
Chittagong H.T. | 28.43 | 5.24 | 2.37 | 2.97 | 60.99 |
Source: Moten[10] |
The 1979 general election was held on 18 February 1979.[11] There were 30 seats reserved for women.[12]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 7,934,236 | 41.17 | 207 | 30 | 237 | New | ||
Awami League | 4,734,277 | 24.56 | 39 | 0 | 39 | –269 | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League–Islamic Democratic League | 1,941,394 | 10.07 | 20 | 0 | 20 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 931,851 | 4.83 | 8 | 0 | 8 | +7 | ||
Awami League (Mizan) | 535,426 | 2.78 | 2 | 0 | 2 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Muzaffar) | 432,514 | 2.24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
United Peoples' Party | 170,955 | 0.89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Gono Front | 115,622 | 0.60 | 2 | 0 | 2 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Nurur-Zahid) | 88,385 | 0.46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 75,455 | 0.39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) | 74,771 | 0.39 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya League | 69,319 | 0.36 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | ||
Jatiya Ekata Party | 44,459 | 0.23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Bangladesh Ganatantrik Andolan | 34,259 | 0.18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal | 27,259 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Naser) | 25,336 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Janata Dal | 18,748 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Republican Party for Parity | 14,429 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party | 10,932 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Labour Party | 7,738 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
People's Democratic Party | 5,703 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal | 4,954 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Democratic Party | 3,564 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya Mukti Party | 3,363 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Tanti Samity | 1,834 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party | 1,575 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Gano Azadi League | 1,378 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
United Republican Party | 389 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chashi Dal | 130 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Independents | 1,963,345 | 10.19 | 16 | 0 | 16 | +15 | ||
Total | 19,273,600 | 100.00 | 300 | 30 | 330 | +15 | ||
Valid votes | 19,273,600 | 97.95 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 402,524 | 2.05 | ||||||
Total votes | 19,676,124 | 100.00 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 38,363,858 | 51.29 | ||||||
Source: Nohlen et al., IPU, Government of Bangladesh |
The 1986 general election was held on 7 May 1986. There were 30 seats reserved for women.[13]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Jatiya Party | 12,079,259 | 42.34 | 153 | 30 | 183 | New | ||
Awami League | 7,462,157 | 26.16 | 76 | 0 | 76 | +37 | ||
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | 1,314,057 | 4.61 | 10 | 0 | 10 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) | 725,303 | 2.54 | 4 | 0 | 4 | New | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League | 412,765 | 1.45 | 4 | 0 | 4 | +4 | ||
National Awami Party | 369,824 | 1.30 | 5 | 0 | 5 | +5 | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 259,728 | 0.91 | 5 | 0 | 5 | +5 | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Siraj) | 248,705 | 0.87 | 3 | 0 | 3 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Muzaffar) | 202,520 | 0.71 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | ||
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League | 191,107 | 0.67 | 3 | 0 | 3 | New | ||
Workers Party of Bangladesh | 151,828 | 0.53 | 3 | 0 | 3 | New | ||
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 123,306 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jana Dal | 98,100 | 0.34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Nagarik Sanghati | 68,290 | 0.24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islami Jukta Front | 50,509 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Odud) | 46,704 | 0.16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (M-L) | 36,944 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Gano Azadi League | 23,632 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Bangladesh Islamic Andolan | 22,931 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jamaaiatay Olamaya Islam | 5,676 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jamaaiatay Olamaya Islam-Nezam-e-Islami party | 5,572 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Pragotishil Jatiyatabadi Dal | 2,997 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Sujat) | 1,988 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jayita League | 1,985 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –2 | ||
Bangladesh Hindu Oikkya Front | 1,338 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal | 149 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Young Muslim Society | 141 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islamic Republican Party | 110 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Independents | 4,619,025 | 16.19 | 32 | 0 | 32 | +16 | ||
Total | 28,526,650 | 100.00 | 300 | 30 | 330 | 0 | ||
Valid votes | 28,526,650 | 98.69 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 377,209 | 1.31 | ||||||
Total votes | 28,903,859 | 100.00 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 47,305,886 | 61.10 | ||||||
Source: Nohlen et al., IPU, Government of Bangladesh |
The 1988 general election was held on 3 March 1988. There were 30 seats reserved for women.[14]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jatiya Party | 17,680,133 | 68.44 | 251 | +98 | |
Combined Opposition Party | 3,263,340 | 12.63 | 19 | New | |
Bangladesh Freedom Party | 850,284 | 3.29 | 2 | New | |
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Siraj) | 309,666 | 1.20 | 3 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 105,910 | 0.41 | 0 | 0 | |
23-Party Alliance | 102,930 | 0.40 | 0 | New | |
Ganatantra Bastabayan Party | 4,209 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
Jana Dal | 28,929 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | |
Independents | 3,487,457 | 13.50 | 25 | –7 | |
Total | 25,832,858 | 100.00 | 300 | 0 | |
Source: Nohlen, Government of Bangladesh |
The 1991 general election was held on 13 January 1991. There were 30 seats reserved for women.[15]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 10,507,549 | 30.81 | 140 | 28 | 168 | New | ||
Awami League | 10,259,866 | 30.08 | 88 | 0 | 88 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | 4,136,661 | 12.13 | 18 | 2 | 20 | New | ||
Jatiya Party | 4,063,537 | 11.92 | 35 | 0 | 35 | –216 | ||
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League | 616,014 | 1.81 | 5 | 0 | 5 | New | ||
Zaker Party | 417,737 | 1.22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 407,515 | 1.19 | 5 | 0 | 5 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) | 269,451 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islami Oikya Jote | 269,434 | 0.79 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Muzaffar) | 259,978 | 0.76 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) | 171,011 | 0.50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Ganatantri Party | 152,529 | 0.45 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
National Democratic Party | 121,918 | 0.36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Bangladesh Janata Dal | 120,729 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
United Communist League of Bangladesh | 110,517 | 0.32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 93,049 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Bangladesh Freedom Party | 90,781 | 0.27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –2 | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Siraj) | 84,276 | 0.25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –2 | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League (Ainuddin) | 66,565 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Workers Party of Bangladesh | 63,434 | 0.19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Khaliquzzaman) | 34,868 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League (Kader) | 32,693 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Janata Mukti Party | 30,962 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Ganotantrik Party | 24,761 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Inquilab Party | 24,310 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Oikkya Front | 21,624 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party–Ganatantrik Oikkya Jote | 20,568 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jomiyatay Wulamayya Islami Party | 15,073 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Mahbub) | 13,413 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Hindu League | 11,941 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (Marxist-Leninist) | 11,275 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Oikkya Prakriyya | 11,074 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League (Matin) | 11,073 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Bhashani) | 9,129 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Pragotishil Jatiyatabadi Dal | 6,677 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal | 6,396 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Biplobi Front | 3,671 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Pragotishil Ganatantrik Sakt | 3,598 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Ashraf) | 3,187 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya Tanti Dal | 3,115 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League (Yusuf) | 2,757 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Jukta Front | 2,668 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Asad) | 1,570 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh National Congress | 1,421 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Chhashi Dal | 1,317 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Gano Azadi League (Samad) | 1,314 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Janasakti Party | 1,263 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party | 1,236 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islamic Samajtantrik Dal Bangladesh | 1,039 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Freedom League | 1,034 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Peoples Democratic Party | 879 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh People's League (Goariobi Newaz) | 742 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Mukti Dal | 723 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jana Parishad | 686 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Muslim Peoples Party | 515 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andolan | 503 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh National Hindu Party | 502 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal | 496 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Democratic League | 453 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Humanitarian organization for the prevention of smoking and drug abuse (JIFSA) | 453 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Tarun Sangha | 417 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Labour Party | 318 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Manobatabadi Dal | 294 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Ideal Party | 251 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Sadequr Rahman) | 248 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Khilafat Party | 241 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islamic Biplobi Parishad | 214 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islami Front | 202 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Bekar Samaj | 182 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Adarsha Krishak Dal | 154 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islamic Revolutionary Party | 138 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Bekar Party | 39 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Sramajibi Party | 28 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Awami Party (Nur Mohammad Kazi) | 27 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya People's Party | 25 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Independents | 1,497,369 | 4.39 | 3 | 0 | 3 | –22 | ||
Total | 34,103,677 | 100.00 | 300 | 30 | 330 | +30 | ||
Valid votes | 34,103,677 | 98.92 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 374,026 | 1.08 | ||||||
Total votes | 34,477,703 | 100.00 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 62,181,743 | 55.45 | ||||||
Source: Nohlen et al., Bangladesh Election Commission, Kumar Panday |
Following boycotts by the main opposition party, the
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 278 | 30 | 308 | +140 | ||||
Bangladesh Freedom Party | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Independents | 10 | 0 | 10 | +7 | ||||
Vacant | 11 | 0 | 11 | – | ||||
Total | 300 | 30 | 330 | 0 | ||||
Total votes | 11,776,481 | – | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 56,149,182 | 20.97 | ||||||
Source: Nohlen et al., Kumar Panday |
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||
Awami League | 15,882,792 | 37.44 | 146 | 27 | 173 | New | ||
Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 14,255,986 | 33.61 | 116 | 0 | 116 | –192 | ||
Jatiya Party | 6,954,981 | 16.40 | 32 | 3 | 35 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | 3,653,013 | 8.61 | 3 | 0 | 3 | New | ||
Islami Oikya Jote | 461,517 | 1.09 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Zaker Party | 167,597 | 0.40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) | 97,916 | 0.23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Workers Party of Bangladesh | 56,404 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Gano Forum | 54,250 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) | 50,944 | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 48,549 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh | 45,585 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sammilita Sangram Parishad | 40,803 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Freedom Party | 38,974 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Samridhya Bangladesh Andolon | 27,083 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islami Front | 23,696 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 18,397 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiyabadi Awami League | 11,190 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islami Shasantantra Andolon | 11,159 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Khalekuzzaman) | 10,234 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Mahbub) | 6,791 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP Bashani) | 5,948 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Muslim League (Jamir Ali) | 4,580 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Ganatantri Party | 4,114 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) | 3,620 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Democratic Republican Party | 3,605 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Janata Party | 3,364 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Nurul Islam) | 2,986 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Janata Party (Sheikh Asad) | 2,395 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Social Democratic Party | 1,938 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Gano Azadi League | 1,683 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Progotisil Jatiata Badi Dal | 1,515 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Hak Kathar Mancha | 1,340 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (Marxist-Leninist) | 1,148 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal | 964 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Communist Kendra | 888 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Biplobi Front | 631 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Saat Dalya Jote (Mirpur) | 602 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Hindu League | 570 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Peoples Party | 558 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Bekar Samaj | 548 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Tafsil Jati Federation (S.K. Mandal) | 537 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Desh Prem Party | 532 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Ganotantrik Sarbahara Party | 502 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya League (Sobhan) | 418 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jana Dal | 395 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Mahiuddin) | 393 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Seba Dal | 365 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Democratic Party | 353 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Krisak Sramik Janata Party | 294 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islami Al Zihad Dal | 288 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Sarbahara Party | 248 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Jatiya Daridra Party | 244 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Sramajibi Oikya Forum | 229 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Islamic Dal Bangladesh (Saifur) | 221 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh People's League | 213 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Samsad (Darshan Shava) | 209 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andolon | 189 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Gano Oikkya Front (Guff) | 186 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Mehanati Front | 173 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Tafsili Federation (Sudir) | 150 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
People's Muslim League | 140 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Awami Party (NAP Bhashani) | 138 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Quran Dorshion Sangshta Bangladesh | 137 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Progatishil Gonotantrik Shakti | 134 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islami Party | 132 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Jatiya Agragati Party | 131 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Oikya Prokria | 112 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Bashani Adarsha Bastabayan Parishad | 107 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Bastuhara Parishad | 105 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh National Congress | 99 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Quran Sunna Bastabayan Party | 82 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Tanjimul Muslimin | 81 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Samridhya Bangladesh Babosai Samproday | 48 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bashani Front | 45 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Krishak Raj Islami Party | 33 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
National Patriotic Party | 31 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Islami Biplobi Parishad | 29 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Taherikay Olama-e-Bangladesh | 29 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
United Peoples' Party | 26 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Bangladesh Manabodjikar Dal | 20 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||
Independents | 449,618 | 1.06 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||
Total | 42,418,274 | 100.00 | 300 | 30 | 330 | 0 | ||
Valid votes | 42,418,274 | 98.92 | ||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 462,302 | 1.08 | ||||||
Total votes | 42,880,576 | 100.00 | ||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 56,716,935 | 75.60 | ||||||
Source: Bangladesh Election Commission, Kumar Panday |
BNP won two-thirds majority in the parliament and won the 2001 general election.
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 22,833,978 | 40.97 | 193 | |
Awami League | 22,365,516 | 40.13 | 62 | |
Islami Jatiya Oikya Front | 4,038,453 | 7.25 | 14 | |
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | 2,385,361 | 4.28 | 17 | |
Bangladesh Jatiya Party | 621,772 | 1.12 | 4 | |
Islami Oikya Jote | 376,343 | 0.68 | 2 | |
Krishak Sramik Janata League | 261,344 | 0.47 | 1 | |
Jatiya Party (Manju) | 243,617 | 0.44 | 1 | |
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 119,382 | 0.21 | 0 | |
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 56,991 | 0.10 | 0 | |
Workers Party of Bangladesh | 40,484 | 0.07 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Islami Front | 30,761 | 0.06 | 0 | |
BASAD–Khalekuzzaman | 21,164 | 0.04 | 0 | |
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh | 19,256 | 0.03 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 13,472 | 0.02 | 0 | |
Gano Forum | 8,494 | 0.02 | 0 | |
Islami Shasantantra Andolon | 5,944 | 0.01 | 0 | |
Liberal Party Bangladesh | 3,976 | 0.01 | 0 | |
National Awami Party (NAP) | 3,801 | 0.01 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Progressive Party | 3,734 | 0.01 | 0 | |
Ganatantri Party | 3,190 | 0.01 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal | 2,308 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Janata Party | 1,703 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andolon | 1,248 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Jaker Party | 1,181 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Peoples Congress | 1,155 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Communist Kendra | 1,042 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) | 972 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Hindu League | 922 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Gano Azadi League | 780 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Jatiyo Janata Party (Adv. Nurul Islam Khan) | 657 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Muslim League (Jamir Ali) | 582 | 0.00 | 0 | |
National Patriotic Party | 551 | 0.00 | 0 | |
National Awami Party (Bhashani) | 442 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Jatiya Tanti Dal | 441 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Samridha Bangladesh Andolon | 429 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal | 391 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Peoples Party | 382 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Desh Prem Party | 366 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Democratic Republican Party | 364 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Manabadhikar Dal | 237 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Krisak Sramik Janata Party | 197 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Liberal Democrats Party | 170 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Quran Darshan Sangstha Bangladesh | 161 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Jatiya Janata Party (Sheik Asad) | 148 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Pragatishil Ganotantrik Shakti | 136 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Sama-Samaj Ganotantri Party | 131 | 0.00 | 0 | |
National Awami Party (NAP-Bhashani Mushtaq) | 79 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Quran and Sunnah Bastabayan Party | 77 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bhashani Front | 76 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League | 59 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Bhashani Adarsha Bastabayan Parishad | 58 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Bangladesh Sarbahara Party | 44 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Jatiya Janata Party (Hafizur) | 30 | 0.00 | 0 | |
Independents | 2,262,073 | 4.06 | 6 | |
Total | 55,736,625 | 100.00 | 300 | |
Valid votes | 55,736,625 | 99.20 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 449,082 | 0.80 | ||
Total votes | 56,185,707 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 74,946,364 | 74.97 | ||
Source: ECB |
General seats results by alliance (left) and party (right) | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party or alliance | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
General | Reserved | Total | +/– | |||||||
Grand Alliance | Awami League | 33,634,629 | 48.04 | 230 | 36 | 266 | +204 | |||
Jatiya Party (Ershad) | 4,926,360 | 7.04 | 27 | 4 | 31 | +17 | ||||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 506,605 | 0.72 | 3 | 0 | 3 | +3 | ||||
Workers Party of Bangladesh | 262,093 | 0.37 | 2 | 0 | 2 | +2 | ||||
Liberal Democratic Party | 191,679 | 0.27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | New | ||||
Total | 39,521,366 | 56.45 | 263 | 40 | 303 | +226 | ||||
Four Party Alliance | Bangladesh Nationalist Party | 22,757,101 | 32.50 | 30 | 5 | 35 | –158 | |||
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | 3,289,967 | 4.70 | 2 | 0 | 2 | –15 | ||||
Bangladesh Jatiya Party | 173,292 | 0.25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | –3 | ||||
Islami Oikya Jote | 108,415 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –2 | ||||
Total | 26,328,775 | 37.61 | 33 | 5 | 38 | –178 | ||||
Islami Andolan Bangladesh | 658,254 | 0.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh | 175,245 | 0.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh | 146,827 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Zaker Party | 134,933 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Jatiya Ganotantrik Party | 107,796 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Krishak Sramik Janata League | 102,879 | 0.15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –1 | ||||
Gano Forum | 72,911 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Communist Party of Bangladesh | 42,331 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Socialist Party of Bangladesh | 38,643 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) | 37,350 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Islami Front | 31,785 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Khelafat Majlish | 27,921 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh National Awami Party | 24,141 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Kalayan Party | 21,609 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Tarikat Federation | 19,905 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan | 16,944 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Progressive Democratic Party | 14,228 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
National People's Party | 10,348 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Jatiya Party | 8,383 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Jatiya Party (Manju) | 7,818 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –1 | ||||
Bangladesh NAP | 4,365 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
People's Front | 4,009 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
United Citizens Movement | 3,542 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Ganatantri Party | 2,550 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh | 2,021 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Muslim League | 1,113 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Islamic Front Bangladesh | 1,020 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Bangladesh Freedom Party | 566 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||
Communist Party of Bangladesh (ML) | 297 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Independents | 2,060,392 | 2.94 | 4 | 0 | 4 | –2 | ||||
None of the above | 381,924 | 0.55 | – | – | – | – | ||||
Total | 70,012,191 | 100.00 | 300 | 45 | 345 | +45 | ||||
Valid votes | 70,012,191 | 99.10 | ||||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 636,294 | 0.90 | ||||||||
Total votes | 70,648,485 | 100.00 | ||||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 81,087,003 | 87.13 | ||||||||
Source: ECB, Asian Tribune |
The Awami League was declared victors in 127 of the 154 uncontested seats by default in the 5 January 2014 elections.[16] Of the remaining uncontested seats, the Jatiya Party led by Rowshan Ershad won 20, the JSD won three, the Workers Party won two and the Jatiya Party (Manju) won one.[17]
As a result of violence and the opposition boycott voter turnout was 22%.[18][19] Results of 139 seats out of 147 were released, with the Awami League winning 105, the Jatiya Party winning 13, the Workers Party winning four, the JSD winning two and the Tarikat Federation and BNF winning one each.[17] The remaining 8 constituencies election were suspended due to violence and re-election to be held.[17] The newly elected MPs were sworn in on 9 January.[20]
Gano Front 2,717 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bangladesh Islami Front | 2,585 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Ganatantri Party | 2,031 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Independents | 2,579,324 | 15.06 | 16 | 3 | 19 | ||||||
Total | 17,129,850 | 100.00 | 300 | 50 | 350 | ||||||
Valid votes | 17,129,850 | 98.49 | |||||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 263,037 | 1.51 | |||||||||
Total votes | 17,392,887 | 100.00 | |||||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 43,943,184 | 39.58 | |||||||||
Source: Parliament, Election Commission, IPU |
The 2018 general election held on 30 December 2018, voter turnout was 80%.
Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish 2,899 | 0.00 | 0 | – | | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ganatantri Party | 1,641 | 0.00 | 0 | – | |||||
Bangladesh Cultural Liberation Front (Muktijote) | 1,219 | 0.00 | 0 | – | |||||
Communist Party of Bangladesh (M-L) | 387 | 0.00 | 0 | – | |||||
Bangladesh Muslim League-BML | 228 | 0.00 | 0 | – | |||||
Independents | 1,498,152 | 1.76 | 2 | –12 | |||||
Total | 85,114,431 | 100.00 | 350 | +50 | |||||
Registered voters/turnout | 104,142,381 | 80.20 | |||||||
Source: ECS, ECS, ECS, Daily Star, Financial Express, Dhaka Tribune, Daily Star, Daily Star, parliament.gov.bd, IFES [1] |
Local governance
Nepotism and dynastic politics
There are several suggested explanations for the prevalence and success of dynastic politics.
- The name becomes synonymous with success and leadership, while connections and political capital.
- Leaders who are connected in collective memory to momentous events are perceived as possessing positive characters such as courage and assertiveness, that can be passed onto the next generation.
- The above explanation can be applied to parties themselves - party members tend to support candidates that are related to previously successful ones, due to the perception of inherited traits.
- A tendency for traditionalism, especially in societies where family relations and kinship are central to the culture.
- Poorer constituencies tend to gravitate towards wealthier, more well-educated politicians, that represent leadership skills as they perceive them.
Two main political dynasties have been known to rival each other: former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia widow of former military ruler Ziaur Rahman, who has led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1981, and her son Tarique Rahman, opposite Bangladesh Awami League, led since 1981 by Sheikh Hasina, who is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.[28]
In recent years, increased awareness of the adverse effects of this political system has caused some shift in public perception[29][30]
Political issues
Corruption
Bangladesh has seen political corruption for decades. According to all major ranking institutions, Bangladesh routinely finds itself among the most corrupt countries in the world.[31]
Social issues
Social issues in Bangladesh range from liberal inceptions such as women's rights, religious liberty, religious freedom, modernity, industrialization to religious issues such as blasphemy laws, sharia legal system, religious conservatism and state religion. The two main parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League, both have contested against each other since the millennium over these issues.
History
Background, Independence movement and Provisional Government
After the
On 5 December 1969 Sheikh Mujibur Rahman stated after independence East Pakistan will be renamed Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's first government formed on 10 April 1971 and took the oath of office in Meherpur,
As this government was formed during the war of independence from Pakistan, its significance holds a distinction. Its temporary headquarters had been set up at 8 Theatre Road in Calcutta, India.[35]
First Parliamentary Era
1972–1975: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
On 8 January 1972 the leader of the Liberation War and Liberation movement Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Pakistan Jail and was sent to London. On Mujib's arrival in London, he was met by the Prime Minister of UK and other world leaders. Sheikh Mujib returned to Bangladesh on 10 January 1972, by a British Royal Air Force Aircraft. Mujib congratulated the Bengali Mukti Bahini (the Bangladesh Liberation Force) for succeeding in the war of liberation against Pakistan army. Mujib was placed at the helm of government, according to the election victory under the unified Pakistan government. In 1973 after the first Bangladesh elections, he continued his term in office with immense backing from India, and public popularity, but had great difficulty transforming this popular support into the political strength needed to function as head of government. The new constitution, which came into force on 16 December 1972, created a strong executive prime minister, a largely ceremonial presidency, an independent judiciary, and a unicameral legislature on a modified Westminster model. The 1972 constitution adopted as state policy the Awami League's (AL) four basic principles of nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy. A key author of the constitution of Bangladesh was Dr Kamal Hossain, who has since been a major political figure of the country.
The first parliamentary elections held under the 1972 constitution were in March 1973, with the Awami League winning a massive majority, winning a historic 293 out of a total of 300 seats. No other political party in Bangladesh's early years was able to duplicate or challenge the League's broad-based appeal, membership, or organizational strength. Mujib and his cabinet having no experience in governance nor administration, relied heavily on experienced civil servants and political factions of the Awami League, the new Bangladesh Government focused on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the economy and society. Mujib nationalised the entire economy, banking and industrial sector. Economic conditions took a serious downturn. On top of that heavy corruption among his own party members, factions and senior leadership also added to the devastation and famine. The then U.S. Secretary of State had termed Bangladesh a Bottomless Basket. Amid mass corruption and famine throughout 1974, in December 1974, Mujib decided that continuing economic deterioration and mounting civil disorder required strong measures. After proclaiming a state of emergency, Mujib used his parliamentary majority to win a constitutional amendment limiting the powers of the legislative and judicial branches, establishing an executive presidency, and instituting a one-party system, the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BAKSAL), which all members of Parliament were obliged to join.
Despite promises, no sign of improvement in the economic situation surfaced. Implementation of promised political reforms was almost nil, and criticism of government policies became increasingly centered on Mujib. Serious disorientation in the armed services, disenchantment in society, deterioration of law and order created a huge mistrust of Mujib and his government including the Awami League itself. The then chief of army staff
Military Era
August–November 1975
Mujib's senior cabinet minister Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad formed a new government and immediately initiated a few critical changes in Mujib's policies and rules of business in government. The notorious Jail Killings happened during this period, amidst the confusion in which Bangladesh was plunged on 3 November. On the same day, Brig General Khaled Mosharraf launched his own coup fundamentally as a move to restore the chain of command broken in the army Musharraf moved swiftly to remove Moshtaque Ahmad from office. On 7 November Khaled Musharaf was killed in a counter coup engineered by Colonel Abu Taher.[36]
1975–1981: Ziaur Rahman
Following Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad's removal and assassination of Brigadier General Khaled Musharaf by a segment of army personnel in 1975, a very short lived revolution resulted in the emergence of arrested deputy Army Chief of Staff Major General Ziaur Rahman ("Zia"), who managed to take the lead and bring the whole nation out of a political quagmire. His first action was to communicate to the people through radio and television and bring order and calm to the nation. He pledged full support to the civilian government headed by President Chief Justice Sayem. Acting at Zia's behest, Sayem dissolved Parliament, and instituted state of emergency under martial law. Zia brought an end to the turbulence within the army. In 1976 Colonel Abu Taher was tried for treason and executed. Fresh elections were to be in 1977 under a multi party democracy with full freedom of the press.[37]
Acting behind the scenes of the Martial Law Administration (MLA), Zia sought to invigorate government policy and administration. Lifting the ban on political parties from Mujib's one party
As President, Zia announced a 19-point program of economic reform and began dismantling the MLA. Keeping his promise to hold elections, Zia won a 5-year term in the June 1978 elections, with 76% of the vote. In November 1978, his government removed the remaining restrictions on political party activities in time for parliamentary elections in February 1979. These elections, which were contested by more than 30 parties, marked the culmination of Zia's transformation of Bangladesh's Government from the MLA to a democratically elected, constitutional one. The Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), founded by Zia, emerged as the two major parties. The constitution was again amended to provide for an executive prime minister appointed by the president, and responsible to a parliamentary majority. Zia invigorated a strong foreign policy based on sovereignty and economic independence. He initiated many social programs to uplift the poor through honest hard work and education. During this period, Bangladesh's economy achieved fast economic and industrial growth. His greatest legacy on the people of Bangladesh was unity and self-dependence.
In May 1981, Zia was assassinated in Chittagong by dissident elements of the military. There was no coup or uprising attempted, and the major conspirators were never taken into custody or killed. In accordance with the constitution, Vice President Justice Abdus Sattar was sworn in as acting president. He immediately set out to continue Zia's policies and called for fresh elections. Due to President Zia's tremendous popularity Satter won as the BNP's candidate. President Sattar sought to follow the policies of his predecessor and retained essentially the same cabinet.
1982–1990: Hussain Mohammed Ershad
Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.
Despite a
Ershad resigned as Army Chief of Staff and retired from military service in preparation for the presidential elections, scheduled for October 1986. Protesting that martial law was still in effect, both the BNP refused to put up opposing candidates. The Awami League participated by breaking their open public promise. Ershad easily outdistanced the remaining candidates, taking 84% of the vote. Although Ershad's government claimed a turnout of more than 50%, opposition leaders of BNP, and much of the foreign press, estimated a far lower percentage and alleged voting irregularities.
Ershad continued his stated commitment to lift martial law. In November 1986, his government mustered the necessary two-thirds majority in the national assembly to amend the constitution and confirm the previous actions of the martial law regime. The President then lifted martial law, and the opposition party Awami League of Hasina Wazed took their elected seats in the national assembly.
In July 1987, however, after the government hastily pushed through a controversial legislative bill to include military representation on local administrative councils. Passage of the bill helped spark an opposition movement by Bangladesh Nationalist Party that quickly gathered momentum. The Awami League and Jamaat Islami. understanding their political gamble, gradually united with Bangladesh Nationalist Party for the first time. The government began to arrest scores of opposition activists under the country's Special Powers Act of 1974. Despite these arrests, opposition parties continued to organize protest marches and nationwide strikes. After declaring a state of emergency, Ershad dissolved Parliament and scheduled fresh elections for March 1988.
All major opposition parties refused government overtures to participate in these polls, maintaining that the government was illegal and incapable of holding free and fair elections. Despite the opposition boycott, the government proceeded. The ruling Jatiya Party won 251 of the 300 seats. The Parliament, while still regarded by the opposition as an illegitimate body, held its sessions as scheduled, and passed numerous bills.
By 1989, the domestic political situation in the country seemed to have quieted. The local council elections were generally considered by international observers to have been less violent and more free and fair than previous elections. However, opposition to Ershad's rule began to regain momentum, escalating by the end of 1990 in frequent general strikes, increased student's campus protests, public rallies, and a general disintegration of law and order. This was popularly termed the 1990 Mass Uprising in Bangladesh.
On 6 December 1990, after 2 months of widespread civil unrest, Ershad offered his resignation. On 27 February 1991, an interim government oversaw what most observers widely believed to be the nation's most free and fair elections to date.
Current Parliamentary Era
1991–1996: Khaleda Zia
The center-right BNP won a plurality of seats in the
In March 1994, controversy over a parliamentary by-election, which the opposition claimed the government had rigged, led to an indefinite boycott of Parliament by the entire opposition. The opposition also began a program of repeated general strikes to press its demand that Khaleda Zia's government resign and a caretaker government supervise a general election. Efforts to mediate the dispute, under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretariat, failed. After another attempt at a negotiated settlement failed narrowly in late December 1994, the opposition resigned en masse from Parliament. The opposition then continued a campaign of Marches, demonstrations, and strikes in an effort to force the government to resign. The year 1995 observed nearly 200 days of general strikes disrupting the countries normal activities. The opposition, including the Awami League's Sheikh Hasina, pledged to boycott national elections scheduled for 15 February 1996.
In February, Khaleda Zia was re-elected for the second term by a landslide in voting boycotted and denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties. In March 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted a constitutional amendment to allow a neutral caretaker government to assume power conduct new parliamentary elections; former Chief Justice
1996–2001: Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina formed what she called a "Government of National Consensus" in June 1996, which included one minister from the Jatiya Party and another from the
BNP staged a walkout from parliament in August 1997. The BNP returned to Parliament under another agreement in March 1998. In June 1999, the BNP and other opposition parties again began to abstain from attending Parliament. Opposition parties have staged an increasing number of nationwide general strikes, rising from 6 days of general strikes in 1997 to 27 days in 1999. A four-party opposition alliance formed at the beginning of 1999 announced that it would boycott parliamentary by-elections and local government elections unless the government took steps demanded by the opposition to ensure electoral fairness. The government did not take these steps, and the opposition has subsequently boycotted all elections, including municipal council elections in February 1999, several parliamentary by-elections, and the Chittagong city corporation elections in January 2000. The opposition demands that the Awami League government step down immediately to make way for a caretaker government to preside over parliamentary and local government. In March 2000, US President Bill Clinton became the first US president to visit Bangladesh.[38] Hasina later stated that during the visit Clinton wanted to import gas from the Country, but she had to decline due to fear of scarcity of gas and for the welfare of the people as they were heavily dependent on gas.[39]
2001–2006: Khaleda Zia
A Khaleda-led four-party alliance won two-thirds of total parliamentary seats with a total 193 seats, while Awami League won 62 seats. Thus Khaleda Zia won a second term as prime minister in 2001. Her coalition included several Islamist parties. The Awami League walked out from the Parliament in June 2003 to protest derogatory remarks about Sheikh Hasina by a State Minister and the allegedly partisan role of the Parliamentary Speaker. Throughout the year 2004 the opposition party Awami League carried out various processions pressing various demands and claiming government incompetence on various issues. In June 2004, the Awami League returned to Parliament without having any of their demands met.
On 21 August 2004 a group of terrorists conducted vicious grenade attacks on a rally held by the opposition party Awami League including leader Sheikh Hasina. Prominent leaders including Ivy Rahman were killed in the attack, and Hasina herself sustained injuries to her ears. A total of 13 grenades were blasted and 24 people killed. The Awami League called for a nationwide hartal (general strikes) on 23 and 24 August 2004 following the incident. Begum Khaleda Zia, then Prime Minister of Bangladesh condemned the attacks, and also vowed a strong probe to catch the culprits. But no charge sheet was provided by the investigating departments. Only after the current government tenure ended a neutral probe formed and charge sheet was provided includes terrorist Mufti Hannan. Later, during Awami League tenure another probe formed and revealed that Tarique Rahman son of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia along with the then Home Minister Lutfuzzaman Babar had masterminded the attack.[40] But BNP has denied the allegations.
In 2005 Awami League attended Parliament irregularly before announcing a boycott of the entire June 2005 budget session.[41] The BNP government tenure expired in October 2006, and was followed by a period of widespread political crisis.
2006–2008: Caretaker government: Fakhruddin Ahmed
Following the end of Khaleda Zia's government in late October 2006, there were protests and strikes over uncertainty about who would head the caretaker government (which was accused of BNP bias), held by Awami League, paralyzing the country and resulting in the death of at least 40 people in the following month in November 2006.[42] An election was scheduled for the beginning of 2007, however it did not take place. Given the parties' failure to agree on a candidate For Chief Advisor, according to the constitution the position devolved to the President, Iajuddin Ahmed, serving since 2002. He took it on in addition to his regular responsibilities, which under the caretaker government included the Defense Ministry. Iajuddin Ahmed formed a government, appointing ten advisors to a council to act as ministers. He appointed his press spokesman, the journalist-editor turned politician M Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, as his chief Presidential Advisor, with the status of Minister of State. Chowdhury had the responsibility to negotiate with the political parties to bring them to participation in the election.[citation needed] In January 2007, Iajuddin Ahmed stepped down as the head of the caretaker government, under pressure from the military.[citation needed]
In April 2007, Ahmed's military backed administration attempted to reform the political parties by exiling Hasina and Zia, but this was never enforced. Hasina, who had been visiting her children in the US, was allowed to return but she had to face serious charges, including involvement in the assassination of four political rivals. In July, she was arrested after two businessmen testified that she had extorted
2009–present: Sheikh Hasina
The
Controversy erupted in 2011 after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the abolition of the care-taker government system, contradicting her own motives and views in the mid-1990s when she had demanded that elections should be held under neutral care-taker governments. Hasina justified this by stating that a neutral care-taker government may abuse its power (referring to the care-taker government crisis in 2006–2008) and take unlawful and autocratic control of the country. At the same time, arrests and trials of members accused of war crimes of the political party Jamaat-e-Islami had begun. This caused major disagreements among the ruling Awami League with the chief opposition party BNP and its major ally Jamaat. In a bid to return to the 1972 Constitution, the government made several reforms to the constitution of Bangladesh in 2011, and readopted Secularism. In 2012 a coup attempt against Hasina by mid-ranking army officers was stopped, with Bangladesh army being tipped off by Indian intelligence agency. Also in 2012, Bangladesh won a legal battle against Myanmar under international court regarding disputed sea territories, giving Bangladesh a tremendous advantage on the oceanic areas.[47]
The period 2012-2014 was marked by widespread political unrest and violence in the form of strikes, riots and acts of vandalism which led to massive property damages, economic losses and death of many ordinary citizens. Petrol bombs and cocktails were being used at their peaks for arson attacks. But the ruling party remained committed to their decision and compared the ongoing protests to acts of terrorism. Both the ruling party and the opposition received International criticism.[48] The scheduled date of the 10th general election was 5 January 2014. The opposition party received several pleas by the ruling party to abandon their path of violence and join the election, but they repeatedly declined. Despite the crisis the controversial 5 January 2014 election was held (a few election centers were bombed by BNP-Jamaat supporters, voters faced harassment) with mass boycott from BNP and its major allies. At least 21 people were killed on the 5 January election day violence.[49] Awami League had a landslide victory, and Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as prime minister for the third time on 9 January 2014, while Rowshan Ershad of the Jatiya Party became the new leader of the opposition, as Khaleda-led BNP boycotted the election. The ongoing BNP-Jamaat protests diluted after failing to stop the January 2014 election, and overthrow the ruling party, and by the end of March 2014, political stability was reached.
In the tenth general election, Sheikh Hasina won a controversial one-sided walkover election after her main rival Khaleda Zia and all other opposition parties boycotted the polls. Awami League once again took office on 9 January 2014. Over a 100 people were killed in the 2016 Union Parishad Election in violent clashes between Awami League and BNP supporters.[50] In April 2017 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a landmark visit to neighboring India and signed 22 new deals and MoUs with India taking the Indo-BD bilateral relationships to a new height. This also included a defense cooperation, originally proposed by India.[51] BNP harshly criticized the move with Khaleda alleging the ruling party was selling Bangladesh to India and pointing the Government's failure to make the long-awaited Teesta deal. Awami League dismissed the allegations, assuring that it was just a framework to strengthen regional ties with India. Also in 2017 Bangladesh was met with the 2017 Rohingya Refugee Crisis, in which the government received international praise for allowing over 700,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar (where around 20,000 of them were killed) into the country but also some domestic criticisms due to this being an additional burden to Bangladesh a country already overpopulated with 17 crore (170 million) people and having a small land.[52]
Most of the post 2014 election period however saw political calm. Tensions between the BNP and Awami League reignited in 2018 after BNP once again started pressing demands for a caretaker government to observe the 11th general election. BNP also criticized Awami League's rising dependency on law enforcement agencies such as the police force and for holding back people's freedom of speech.
On 22 September 2018, in a massive rally, the newly formed coalition party: Jatiya Oikya Prokriya (JOP), a platform led by Dr.
The 2018 Bangladeshi general election was held on 30 December 2018. On the election day at least 14 people died in violence between the Awami League supporters and the Jatiya Oikya Front supporters.[63] The Awami League returned to power winning 259 out of 300 parliamentary seats, making up the largest government body in Bangladesh after 1973 (where Awami League had won 293 out of 300 seats). The Jatiya Oikya Front only won 7 seats and alleged the 2018 election to be rigged and opted to boycott the parliament and stated that they would demand for fresh elections. The Jatiya Party became the main opposition party with only 20 seats.[64]
Since the 2018 General Election the nation witnessed four years of political calm. But in 2022 BNP increasingly started to criticize the Awami League Government over rising inflationary crisis, mostly unsustainable fuel and energy price hikes as well as massive power outage despite the Government's promise to implement 100% electricity in the nation. While price levels of every items begun to rise, people's income level became stale and the Prime Minister herself warned of possible famine in the future and called for the general public to reduce their consumption, however did not say anything about politicians and government officials living luxurious lives.
Unlike the 2014 and 2018 general elections marred by violence, the 2024 Bangladeshi general election held on 7 January 2024 were generally peaceful and once again won by Awami League and was noted by international observers as a free and fair election.[77] The Awami League Government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took oath for a record fourth consecutive time on 10 January 2024.[78] The election was boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[79]
See also
Notes
- ^ The voting figures of the Awami League does not include the votes for 13 candidates of allied registered parties who contested on the Awami League 'boat' symbol
- ^ Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal ran as a Awami League candidate in Chattogram-8 an won the seat with 282,313 votes.
- ^ The voting figures of the BNP does not include the votes for 25 candidates of allied registered parties who contested on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol
- ^ WPB fielded three candidates on its 'hammer' election symbol, who received 1,729 votes, and five candidates on the Awami League 'boat' symbol, who received 644,335 votes.
- ^ JASAD fielded nine candidates on its 'torch' election symbol, who received 39,104 votes, and three candidates on the Awami League 'boat' symbol, who received 570,940 votes.
- ^ Bikalpdhara Bangladesh fielded 23 candidates on its 'winnowing fan' election symbol, who received 18,183 votes, and three candidates on the Awami League 'boat' symbol, who received 547,757 votes.
- ^ GaFo fielded twenty candidates on its 'rising sun' election symbol, who received 103,535 votes, and seven candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 398,202 votes.
- ^ Bangladesh Tarikat Federation fielded 16 candidates on its 'winnowing fan' election symbol, who received 6,087 votes, and two candidates on the Awami League 'boat' symbol, who received 423,868 votes.
- ^ JUIB fielded five candidates on its 'date palm' election symbol, who received 2,351 votes, and three candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 215,658 votes.
- ^ JSD fielded fifteen candidates on its 'star' election symbol, who received 3,119 votes, and four candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 152,867 votes.
- ^ KSJL fielded five candidates on its 'gamchha' election symbol, who received 597 votes, and three candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 143,518 votes.
- ^ KM fielded ten candidates on its 'wall-clock' election symbol, who received 11,203 votes, and two candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 105,907 votes.
- ^ LDP fielded four candidates on its 'umbrella' election symbol, who received 25,152 votes, and four candidates on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 28,879 votes.
- ^ BKP fielded one candidate on its 'wrist-watch' election symbol, who received 55 votes, and one candidate on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 44,381 votes.
- ^ BJP fielded two candidates on its 'cow cart' election symbol, who received 111 votes, and one candidate on the BNP 'sheaf of paddy' symbol, who received 38,639 votes.
- ^ Unregistered member political parties of the Left Democratic Alliance like the Ganasamhati Andolan fielded candidates on RWPB's 'hoe' election symbol.
- ^ Some unregistered political parties, most notably the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Bobby Hajjaj, contested under Muslim League’s 'lantern' election symbol. The alliance of these parties held the name 'Gano Oikya Jote' (lit. Mass Unity Alliance).
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External links
- Global Integrity Report: Bangladesh has details of anti-corruption efforts.