Awami League's win in B'desh parliamentary poll is people's victory: Sheikh Hasina

Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Jan 9 (IANS) Awami League (AL) President and newly-elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has described her party's win in the country's parliamentary election as the "people's victory" and said that Bangladesh has been able to set an example of "holding free, fair and neutral polls". 

In the 12th general elections, Hasina's party secured a landslide victory with over two-thirds majority, giving the AL-led 14-party alliance another chance to form the government in Bangladesh for the fourth consecutive term.

"We've set an example that elections can be free, fair and neutral. You (observers and journalists) have come and witnessed how the people cast their votes in our country," she said, while interacting with foreign journalists and election observers at Ganabhaban, the official residence of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, following the parliamentary election.

Hasina added that her victory in the general election is the victory of the people, as voting rights and power of the people to choose a government were applied in a fair manner through this election, since she and her party AL had been struggling to establish those rights.

She said that the people of the country have elected her party by voting for it in this election, where many independent candidates and some contenders from other parties were also elected.

Mentioning that the people have elected her party by voting in large numbers for her party, Hasina said, "We'd taken all sorts of measures to hold the election in a fair manner as you witnessed it."

Pointing to atrocities committed by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), she said the BNP didn't participate in the election as they are afraid of contesting a direct election, adding: "The party that was founded in the hands of military dictators can't act on their own. They don't have public support. So, they are scared of a direct election."

The massive victory has paved the way for Hasina to lead the government as Prime Minister for the fifth time and winning elections for a consecutive fourth term.

The Election Commission (EC) so far announced unofficially the results of 298 parliamentary seats out of the 300 where election was held in a free and fair manner.

Despite the militancy and boycott by the opposition BNP and like-minded parties, the Awami League-nominated candidates and its independent candidates secured victory in most of the constituencies in the national parliamentary election.

According to the official data released by the EC on Monday, the AL won 286 out of 298 seats across the country.

The results show that in almost every district, the AL leaders contested the election--whether with the party symbol 'Boat' or the independent symbol 'Eagle' or 'Truck'. Though there were other 27 political parties that contested this poll, their candidates could not win except 11 candidates from the Jatiya Party and three candidates from the Workers' Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and the Bangladesh Kalyan Party.

In Dhaka district, AL candidates secured 16 out of 20 seats. However, in the other four seats, the AL's independent candidates won. It can be said that the Awami League has a stronghold in Dhaka.

Gopalganj, the birthplace of Father of the Nation -- Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- is considered a political fortress of the AL. Ruling AL candidates, including party President Sheikh Hasina, won all three seats in Gopalganj.

In Faridpur, the AL candidates won three out of four seats, while independent candidate A.K. Azad defeated an AL candidate. Azad is also a former AL leader.

In Gazipur, AL candidates won four out of five seats, and another AL leader, who contested as an independent candidate defeated former state Minister Meher Afroz Chumki.

In Tangail, AL candidates secured victory in seven out of eight constituencies, and former AL presidium member and former Minister Abdul Latif Siddique contested as an independent candidate and defeated a party candidate in Tangail-4 constituency.

Khulna and Bagerhat, bordering Gopalganj, are also counted as strongholds for the AL, where family members of Bangabandhu are involved in politics. In these two districts, all the AL candidates secured victory by a huge margin.

Meanwhile, all the AL candidates won in some small districts like Chuandanga, Meherpur, Jhalakathi, Feni, Chapainawabganj and Magura.

In Sylhet and Sunamganj, AL candidates lost in two seats against independent candidates.

In Moulovibazar, AL candidates won all three seats. In Habiganj, the AL won two seats and independents got two. These two independents are also AL leaders.

In Barisal, AL candidates won four out of six, and one independent candidate, who won in Barisal-4 constituency is a former AL MP.

In Chittagong district, AL candidates won 13 seats out of 16.

In Rajshahi district, five AL candidates secured victory in six constituencies, and the other winner, an independent candidate, is also a district-level leader of the AL.

In Bogra, which is considered a BNP stronghold, AL candidates won four out of seven seats. In the other three seats, one independent, one Jatiya Party, and one Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal candidate won.

Among the six constituencies of Rangpur district, AL candidates won in three seats with the 'Boat' symbol, while AL's independent candidates won against party candidates in two other seats.

In Dinajpur, AL candidates secured victory in five out of six seats, and the independent candidate, who defeated the AL candidate in Dinajpur-1 constituency is the President of Birganj Upazila Awami League.

In Lalmonirhat and Pabna, AL candidates won in all the constituencies.

In Natore, AL candidates won two seats out of three. In the Natore-1 seat, the district AL Vice-President contested as an independent candidate and defeated the AL nominee.

In Jamalpur, AL candidates won three seats out of five, and in Jamalpur-4 constituency, the AL-nominated candidate lost to another party leader who contested as an independent candidate.

Similar poll results were witnessed from Mymensingh, Netrokona and Brahmanbaria.

On the other hand, AL candidates secured consecutive victories in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban hill districts.

Voting in Naogaon-2 constituency was postponed due to the death of an independent candidate earlier on Sunday.

EC will announce the result of Mymensingh-3 constituency later on Tuesday as the polling in one centre was postponed.

--IANS

sumi/khz