Looking back at JS polls history

The country is set to experience the 11 Parliamentary Elections today. So far it had seen 10 general elections where the ruling party Awami League won the race four times and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) four times in the last 47 years. The Military Junta of Gen Hossain Momammad Ershad also captured power twice with its political party symbol "Plough" and shared power with its political ally Awami League for the last decade. According to the Election Commission (EC), the ruling party Awami League won victory in the 1st, 7th, 9th and 10th Parliamentary polls while BNP won in 2nd, 5th, 6th and 8th Parliamentary polls. However, Jatiya Party won the election race in the 3rd and 4th Parliamentary elections.

"Due to political unrest the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th parliaments had failed to complete its five year tenure but the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th parliaments had successfully completed its tenure in the 47 years of the country's election history," a senior official of the EC told the daily Observer on Saturday.

He said the highest turnout in the election was 87 per cent in 2008 or in the 9th Parliamentary Elections and the lowest was only 26.5 per cent in the 6th Parliamentary polls. General Election was held in the newly independent Bangladesh on March 7 in 1973. The result was a resounding victory for the Awami League, which won 293 of the 300 seats, including eleven constituencies where they were elected unopposed without vote. Voter turnout was 54.9 per cent. After the assassination of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Gen Zia's political party BNP conducted the 2nd Parliamentary polls in February 1979. BNP won the polls and formed the government but it failed to complete its tenure.

After the assassination of Gen Ziaur Rahman,Gen Hossain Mohammad Ershad took over the charge and in 1984, Ershad sought the opposition parties' participation in the local elections under Martial Law. The opposition's refusal to participate, however, forced Ershad to abandon these plans. Ershad sought public support for his regime in a national referendum on his leadership in March 1985.

Despite a boycott by the BNP, the 3rd Parliamentary elections were held in May 1986. The Jatiya Party won a modest majority of the 300 elected seats in the National Assembly. Although Ershad's government claimed a turnout of more than 50 per cent but the opposition leaders and much of the foreign press, estimated a far lower percentage and alleged voting irregularities.
In July 1987, however, after the government hastily pushed through a controversial legislative bill to include military representation on local administrative councils, the opposition walked out of Parliament. 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 organise protest marches and nationwide strikes. After declaring a State of Emergency, Gen Ershad dissolved Parliament and scheduled fresh elections for March of 1988.
 
All major opposition parties refused government overtures to participate in these polls, maintaining that the government was incapable of holding free and fair elections. Despite the opposition boycott, the government proceeded and conducted the 4th Parliamentary polls.  In June of 1988, a controversial constitutional amendment made Islam Bangladesh's state religion and kept provision for setting up High Court benches in major cities outside of Dhaka. Islam remains the state religion, the provision for decentralising the High Court division has been struck down by the Supreme Court.

In December of 1990, Ershad, Jatiya Party leader and President of the Republic in office since 1983, resigned after months of an anti-government campaign by opposition groups and student protesters. He was succeeded as acting President by Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, who headed a neutral caretaker administration pending general elections, which were first set for March 2 in 1991 and subsequently advanced.

The Fifth Parliamentary Election was held on February 27 in 1991. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Voter turnout was 55.4 per cent.
The Sixth National Parliamentary Election was held in Bangladesh on February 15 in 1996. They were boycotted by most opposition parties, and saw voter turnout dropped to just 21 per cent. The result was a victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which won 300 of the 300 elected seats. This administration was short lived and lasted only 12 days before the installation of the caretaker government and fresh election was held in June of 2016.

Khaleda Zia was re-elected by a landslide in voting boycotted and denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties. In March of 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted a constitutional amendment to allow a neutral caretaker government to assume power to conduct new Parliamentary elections. Former Chief Justice Mohammed Habibur Rahman was named Chief Adviser in the interim government. Parliamentary election was held in June of 1996 and was won by the Awami League. Party leader Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister.

The Eighth Parliamentary Election was held on October 1 in 2001. The 300 single-seat constituencies for the Jatiya Sangsad were contested by 1,935 candidates representing 54 parties and including 484 independents. The Ninth Parliamentary Election was held on December 29 of 2008. The two main parties in the election were the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Khaleda Zia, and the Bangladesh Awami League Party, led by Sheikh Hasina.

General elections were held in Bangladesh on January 5 of 2014, in accordance with the constitutional requirement that the election must take place within the 90-day period before the expiration of the term of the Jatiya Sangshad on January 24 in 2014. The Election Commission has completed its last-minute preparations for the upcoming 11th parliamentary elections.

This time, 39 registered political parties are going to take part in the general polls. After 10 years, a participatory election is going to be held as all the major parties, including Awami League and BNP, are all set to compete.  Both Awami League and BNP have their own alliances. However, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh has contesting the election as a lone political party in 292 constituencies of the total 299.

About 104.2 million voters will exercise their franchise in 299 of the 300 constituencies across the country; voting has been postponed in Gaibandha-3 by the EC due to the death of the Jatiya Oikya Front candidate. However, the EC has scheduled January 27 for Gaibandha 3 election.

The total number of candidates is 1,861, among whom 128 are contesting independently.