Election - Brief Update

Published on Wednesday, 31 December 2008
election politics ajoy roy

Dear Mukto-monas,

Here is the latest election update. The Grand Alliance: led by AL has further consolidated its position in the ensuing Parliament by securing 263 seats, more than three-fourth of the total seats (300). It is a astounding as well as astonishing victory in deed in the history of Bangladesh parliamentary election. The Awami League itself secured 232 seats which is ¾ of the total seats. Many have termed AL victory as a sweet revenge against BNP in the notorious election of 2001. In the rigged election, alleged by AL, BNP won 193 seats as against AL wining only 68 seats or so.

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Here is the latest Partywise position of the election result:

Grand Alliance: 263 seats

Component Parties:

Awami League: 232 Jatiya Party (Ershad): 27 Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-INU): 2 Workers Party: 2

BNP led 4-Party alliance: 31

Component Parties:

  1. Bangladesh National Party (BNP): 27
  2. Jamat e Islam: 2
  3. BJP (Nazir): 1
  4. Other Islamic group: 1

Many called the historic victory of the Grand alliance as the people's victory giving unqualified verdict on following issues,

  1. Sky-high prices of general commodities
  2. Against corruption and abuse of powers by BNP government
  3. Against war criminals and their trial. People rejected BNP for its silence on these two vital issues, moreover for their, especially its chairperson hobnobbing with the known war criminals.

We think in the conflict between the forces of Islamic Fundamentalism and Islamic terrorism vs. secular-liberal democratic forces, the later emerged victorious. It is a verdict of the anti Jamat philosophy and distinctly in favour of liberalism and secularism.

We hope the Grand alliance will not disappoint the people. No doubt the task is very difficult and almost un-surmountable, as the victorious candidate of Sylhet 1 constituency Mr. Abul Mal Muhit rightly said, ‘we have kindled great hope in the common mass, and so the task and responsibility on the victorious parties is now manifold increased. We feel humble and we must be out to satisfy the demands of the people who put us to seat of state power.

A political pundit of DU has identified three factors for the debacle of BNP.

  1. During emergency, the BNP as a Party disarrayed particularly after the arrest of their chairperson, main inspiring force of the party, with intra faction of pro-reformation and pro Khaleda elements. From the chaotic condition, the party never could come to its own self, though Begum Khaleda tried her best to unite the party in a single unit
  2. The dilemma whether to participate in the general election even though BNP's stalwarts could mange to get free from jails at the mercy and the liberal attitude shown by our Apex court. The Party's think tankers failed to show the determined and correct path.
  3. The BNP put up known old guards, most whom lost their image in the eye of the public. Whether theses accused leaders were guilty or not in the eye of the laws, people were convinced that they are corrupted and has made Himalayan wealth.

With these I may add a few below:

  1. People in general got annoyed with open association of BNP leaders with the well known war criminals, who opposed our war of liberation and were responsible humiliation of lakhs of our womenfolk and genocide. .
  2. The BNP theoreticians put their money on the old conception that Party has a built in vote bank. They made their election strategy based on this concept. In doing so, they ignored the sentiments of 30% new young voters (age of 18+). This strategy proved a drastic failure. On the other hand AL and its alliance addressed the younger generation, their skill and merit. They put up many relatively unknown but talented young candidates. Dhaka city candidates just example of this policy.
  3. The people have not forgotten BNP rule of Himalayan corruption by its minister, leaders, and mastans, ill and incompetent governance in every issues. Terrorism and atrocities (particularly against minorities) crossed all limits.

The Result is a reminder to the victorious and the defeated that People do not forget its past.

I will make an election analysis within a day or two when all the detail results are available to me.

Regards to all, Ajoy Roy Dhaka, December 31, 2008