June 1996 Bangladeshi general election

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June 1996 Bangladeshi general election
Flag of Bangladesh.svg
  February 1996 12 June 1996 2001  

300 of the 330 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad
151 seats needed for a majority
Registered56,716,935
Turnout75.60% (Increase2.svg54.63pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Sheikh Hasina 2009 cropped 3by2.jpg Begum Zia Book-opening Ceremony, 1 Mar, 2010.jpg Hussain Muhammad Ershad.jpg
Leader Sheikh Hasina Khaleda Zia H.M. Ershad
Party AL BNP JP(E)
Last electionBoycotted278 seatsBoycotted
Seats won14611632
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 146Decrease2.svg162Increase2.svg32
Popular vote15,882,79214,255,9866,954,981
Percentage37.44%33.63%16.40%

Bangladesch Parlamentswahl 1996 Karte.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Muhammad Habibur Rahman (acting)
Caretaker government

Contents

Subsequent Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina
AL

General elections were held in Bangladesh on 12 June 1996. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Awami League, which won 146 of the 300 directly elected seats, beginning Sheikh Hasina's first-term as Prime Minister. Voter turnout was 74.96%, the highest to date. [1] This election was the second to be held in 1996, following controversial elections held in February a few months earlier.

Background

The June 1996 election marked the second general election to be held within only a four-month period. Previously in February, a general election had been held which was boycotted by all major opposition parties. The opposition were demanding the installation of a neutral caretaker government to oversee the election, citing a 1994 by-election (which they alleged to have been rigged) as evidence of the BNP's inability to hold a free and fair election. Despite the boycott the February election went ahead and the incumbent Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's BNP was re-elected for the second term in a landslide victory, with the majority of seats uncontested. The voting was denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties and the voter turnout was the lowest in Bangladesh's parliamentary electoral history at only 21%.

Following the election, President Abdur Rahman Biswas invited Zia to form a government, but this administration was short-lived, lasting only 12 days. [2] A series of hartals (strikes) were called by the other parties and an indefinite non-cooperation movement was called until demands for a new, free election was met. On 25 March 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted the thirteenth constitutional amendment to allow a neutral caretaker government to assume power and conduct new parliamentary elections. On 30 March the President appointed former Chief Justice Muhammad Habibur Rahman as Chief Advisor (a position equivalent to prime minister) in the interim government. A new election was scheduled for 12 June 1996.

Electoral system

In 1996 the 330 members of the Jatiya Sangsad consisted of 300 directly elected seats using first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies, [3] and an additional 30 seats reserved for women. The reserved seats are distributed based on the election results. [4] Each parliament sits for a five-year term.

Campaign

During the election campaign there was an attempted coup d'état by the military. [5] On 12 May, President Biswas fired General Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim, Chief of the Staff of the Army, due to his refusal to carry out a presidential order to retire two of his generals who were alleged to be consorting with political parties in violation of military rules. Nasim revolted against the President and organised troops loyal to him. Consequently, President Biswas dismissed Nasim and appointed a new chief of staff. Troops loyal to the President were mobilised to protect Government institutions in the capital and Nasim was arrested by military police and the attempted coup d'état failed.

A total of 2,574 candidates contested the elections. The Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh all put forward full slates of 300 candidates. The Jatiya Party ran 293 candidate, Islami Oikkya Jote 166 and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) 67, with other minor parties nominating a combined 864 candidates. 284 candidates ran as independents. [6]

Results

The elections were won by the Bangladesh Awami League, who were just shy of a simple parliamentary majority, winning 146 (of the required 151 for a majority) seats. The election was close in terms of popular vote share between Awami League and BNP, with a difference of less than 4%. However, as a result of first-past-the-post voting, Awami League secured a 30-seat lead above BNP. The election saw a high voter turnout of ~74%. [7]

With the support of Jatiya Party, [8] the leader of Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, was invited to form a government on 23 June, beginning her first term as Prime Minister. The first sitting of the seventh parliament of Bangladesh was subsequently held on 14 July 1996. [2]

Of the 300 directly elected seats, only eight were won by female candidates. [9] [7] An additional 30 seats were reserved in the Jatiya Sangsad for women, of which 27 were awarded to Awami League and rest to Jatiya Party. [9] [7]

Bangladesh February 1996 Parliament Election.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
GeneralReservedTotal+/–
Awami League 15,882,79237.4414627173New
Bangladesh Nationalist Party 14,255,98633.611160116–192
Jatiya Party 6,954,98116.4032335New
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami 3,653,0138.61303New
Islami Oikya Jote 461,5171.09101New
Zaker Party167,5970.40000New
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) 97,9160.23101New
Workers Party of Bangladesh 56,4040.13000New
Gano Forum 54,2500.13000New
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu) 50,9440.12000New
Communist Party of Bangladesh 48,5490.11000New
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh 45,5850.11000New
Sammilita Sangram Parishad40,8030.10000New
Bangladesh Freedom Party 38,9740.09000New
Samridhya Bangladesh Andolon27,0830.06000New
Bangladesh Islami Front 23,6960.06000New
Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan 18,3970.04000New
Bangladesh Jatiyabadi Awami League11,1900.03000New
Islami Shasantantra Andolon11,1590.03000New
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Khalekuzzaman) 10,2340.02000New
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Mahbub)6,7910.02000New
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP Bashani) 5,9480.01000New
Bangladesh Muslim League (Jamir Ali) 4,5800.01000New
Ganatantri Party 4,1140.01000New
Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) 3,6200.01000New
Democratic Republican Party3,6050.01000New
Bangladesh Janata Party3,3640.01000New
Jatiya Janata Party (Nurul Islam)2,9860.01000New
Jatiya Janata Party (Sheikh Asad)2,3950.01000New
Social Democratic Party1,9380.00000New
Bangladesh Gano Azadi League 1,6830.00000New
Progotisil Jatiata Badi Dal1,5150.00000New
Hak Kathar Mancha1,3400.00000New
Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (Marxist-Leninist) 1,1480.00000New
Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal 9640.00000New
Communist Kendra8880.00000New
Jatiya Biplobi Front6310.00000New
Saat Dalya Jote (Mirpur)6020.00000New
Bangladesh Hindu League5700.00000New
Bangladesh Peoples Party5580.00000New
Bangladesh Bekar Samaj5480.00000New
Bangladesh Tafsil Jati Federation (S.K. Mandal)5370.00000New
Desh Prem Party5320.00000New
Ganotantrik Sarbahara Party5020.00000New
Bangladesh Jatiya League (Sobhan)4180.00000New
Jana Dal3950.00000New
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Mahiuddin)3930.00000New
Jatiya Seba Dal3650.00000New
National Democratic Party3530.00000New
Bangladesh Krisak Sramik Janata Party2940.00000New
Islami Al Zihad Dal2880.00000New
Bangladesh Sarbahara Party2480.00000New
Jatiya Daridra Party2440.00000New
Sramajibi Oikya Forum2290.00000New
Islamic Dal Bangladesh (Saifur)2210.00000New
Bangladesh People's League2130.00000New
Bangladesh Samajtantrik Samsad (Darshan Shava)2090.00000New
Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andolon1890.00000New
Gano Oikkya Front (Guff)1860.00000New
Bangladesh Mehanati Front1730.00000New
Bangladesh Tafsili Federation (Sudir)1500.00000New
People's Muslim League1400.00000New
National Awami Party (NAP Bhashani) 1380.00000New
Quran Dorshion Sangshta Bangladesh1370.00000New
Progatishil Gonotantrik Shakti1340.00000New
Bangladesh Islami Party1320.00000New
Bangladesh Jatiya Agragati Party1310.00000New
Oikya Prokria1120.00000New
Bangladesh Bashani Adarsha Bastabayan Parishad1070.00000New
Bangladesh Bastuhara Parishad1050.00000New
Bangladesh National Congress990.00000New
Quran Sunna Bastabayan Party820.00000New
Bangladesh Tanjimul Muslimin810.00000New
Samridhya Bangladesh Babosai Samproday480.00000New
Bashani Front450.00000New
Bangladesh Krishak Raj Islami Party330.00000New
National Patriotic Party310.00000New
Bangladesh Islami Biplobi Parishad290.00000New
Taherikay Olama-e-Bangladesh290.00000New
United Peoples' Party 260.00000New
Bangladesh Manabodjikar Dal200.00000New
Independents449,6181.06101New
Total42,418,274100.00300303300
Valid votes42,418,27498.92
Invalid/blank votes462,3021.08
Total votes42,880,576100.00
Registered voters/turnout56,716,93575.60
Source: Bangladesh Election Commission, Kumar Panday

Aftermath

Hasina's administration completed its full five-year term (the first parliamentary administration to ever do so [10] ) and the next elections were held in October 2001.

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