Unb, Dhaka
The first national election in independent Bangladesh was held on March 7, 1973 where a total of 1,209 candidates, including 120 independents, contested 300 seats.
Of the total 35,205,642 registered voters, 19,329,683 (54.91%) voters exercised their franchise in the first election. Awami League secured 293 seats while the rest seven seats were shared by smaller parties and independents.
The election to the second parliament was held on February 28, 1979 with the participation of 2,547 candidates representing 29 parties and alliances as well as independents.
The third parliamentary elections were held on May 7, 1986 where a total of 1,980 candidates representing 28 parties and including 453 independents contested 300 seats.
Jatiya Party, led by military dictator HM Ershad, bagged highest 153 seats while Awami League won 73 seats in the 1986 elections. Nearly 66.31percent of the 47,876,979 registered voters exercised their franchise.
The fourth parliamentary elections were held on March 3, 1988. As many as 1,192 candidates, representing eight parties and including 214 independents, took part in the elections.
The fifth general elections were held on February 27, 1991 with 2,787 candidates, representing 75 parties and including 424 independents, contested the 300 seats.
The highest 169 seats were bagged by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which formed the government with Khaleda Zia as prime minister. Awami League secured 92 seats while Jatiya Party of HM Ershad won 35 seats.
Voters’ turnout was approximately 52 percent of the registered voters totalling 62,289,556.
The sixth parliamentary elections were held on February 15, 1996. All the major political parties except BNP boycotted the controversial election. Only 26.54 percent voters exercised their franchise in the elections contested by 993 candidates with party affiliation and another 457 independents.
In the seventh general elections held on June 12 in 1996 under the caretaker government, a total of 2,574 candidates took part. The candidates represented 81 parties and also included 284 independents. Bangladesh Awami League formed the government securing 146 seats in the election while BNP got 116.
The election to the eighth parliament was held on October 1, 2001. A total of 1,935 candidates representing 54 parties and including 484 independents contested the polls.
BNP won 193 seats while its key political rival Awami League got only 62 seats. Total turnout of voters was nearly 74.9 percent.
The ninth parliamentary elections, scheduled for January 22, 2007, was cancelled after declaration of the state of emergency on January 11, 2007 amid political turmoil.
The nation finally goes to the ninth Jatiya Sangsad election today.
Courtesy: thedailystar.net
