The New Nation - Internet Edition

AL-led alliance wins landslide victory

An UN delegation-led by Frances Vendrel called on
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina at her Shuda Sadan
Residence on Tuesday. Focus Bangla

Staff Reporter

The Bangladesh Awami League (AL) along with its allies has won an overwhelming majority bagging 262 of 299 parliamentary seats. Its archrival BNP has received 29 seats.

The AL won a staggering 230 seats in the election and its main partner in the grand alliance Jatiya Party got third with 27 seats.

Other AL allies secured another five seats, taking the grand total for the grand alliance to 262.

Jamaat-e-Islami, the main partner of the BNP in the 4-party alliance got only two seats. BJP got 1 seat.

The remarkable majority has given AL the power to rewrite the Constitution and bring about promised reforms.

The Election Commission published the results of 295 constituencies till yesterday noon, out of 299 on stake, barring the one in Noakhali-1 constituency. Among the smaller parties, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Col (retd) Oli Ahmed won 1 while independent candidates got 4.

The results of the four constituencies - Chittagong-16, Noakhali-3 and Parbatya Rangamati and Parbatya Bandarban--were withheld following reported irregularities during voting.

Voting for Noakhali-1 seat has been rescheduled for January 12 following the death of a candidate Nurul Islam of Ganotantri Party.

Two former Prime Ministers -- Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who are leading the two alliances, won in the highest number of three seats each they contested as per the new electoral rules.

Former President and Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad also bagged as many (3) seats.

Among the other prominent political leaders who returned are Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, its leader Fazle Hossain Badsha, JSD chief Hasanul Haq Inu and LDP chief Col (rtd) Oli Ahmed.

Meanwhile, BNP, which along with its allies ruled the country for five years after the 2001 general election with two-thirds-plus majority, alleged "irregularities, rigging and forgery" in the just-concluded election.

Of the total 8,10,58,698 voters, the turnout was over 80 percent on an average as against last year's nearly 75 percent, EC sources said.

AL's Abul Maal Abdul Muhit beat Saifur Rahman, who probably ran his last election, in Sylhet-1 constituency, which has always been a ruling party seat since 1971.

Obaidul Quader of AL snatched Noakhali-5 from former JP and BNp minister Moudud Ahmed; Liberation War second-in-command AK Khandaker won Pabna-2 for AL.

In Panchagarh-1, the Speaker, who will administer the oath to the new MPs, failed to become an MP; losing out to Mozaharul Huq Prodhan. Dipu Moni, an AL leader, fought successfully for Chandpur-3. AL nominees won all three seats from the hill districts.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed came third in Faridpur-3 after AL and a 'rebel' BNP independent.

BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Islami Oikya Jote chief Fazlul Huq Amini, and former BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan lost-all to AL nominees.

Former BNP health minister Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain lost his Comilla-1 seat to retired major general Subid Ali Bhuiyan of AL.

In Chittagong-10, fellow businessman M H Latif stunned BNP's former commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Abdullah Al Noman lost Chittagong-9 to AL's Afsarul Amin.

Former Rajshahi mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu, former BNP minister Harunur Rashid Khan Monno (Manikganj), former deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu (Lalmonirhat) all lost their seats to grand alliance candidates.

Former BNP minister Abdul Moyeen Khan failed to win his Narsingdi-2 seat.

Former home and commerce minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, a rertired air vice marshal, lost his Patuakhali -1 seat.

Former army chief, Mahbubur Rahman, also failed to defend his seat.

Former First Lady Roushan Ershad lost in disputed Gaibandha-5 to 'ally' AL's Fazle Rabbi and Mymensingh-4 to district AL president 'Principal' Matiur Rahman.

Former president A Q M Badruddoza Chowdhury of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh failed to put up a fight in Dhaka-6 where Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka also lost to Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu.

Shah Moazzem Hossain, former Jatiya Party deputy prime minister and a BNP nominee this time, lost to Sukumar Ranjan Ghosh the Munshiganj-1 seat.

In Munshiganj-3, BNP standing committee member M Shamsul Islam, a former information and commerce minister, lost to M Idris Ali of AL.

Former state minister for health Mizanur Rahman Sinha lost to former AL MP Shagufta Yasmin Emily in Munshiganj-2.

JP's Kazi Zafar Ahmed, a former prime minister, was third behind winner AL's Mujibul Huq Mujib and Jamaat's Abdullah Taher.

A total of 1,555 candidates from 39 political parties and independent contested the polls. Over 2 lakh local and more than 500 foreign observers monitored the crucial elections across the country.

Lessons from the polls

Hasnat Abdul Hye

The people of Bangladesh, nearly eight million of them as voters, have given their verdict on the eligibility and credibility of political parties to rule the country for the next five years. The results show a resounding victory for the mohajote, the grand alliance, led by Bangladesh Awami League. The support given by the voters to the mohajote has been both unequivocal and unprecedented.

No party or alliance has been able to capture so many seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, 262 according to unofficial announcement, in recent history. By the same token, never has a party or an alliance that was in power before election has been clobbered so badly at the polls as has been the case with the 4-party alliance which won a measly 36 seats, again on the basis of unofficial results. Needless to say, the confirmation of the 'unofficial’ results into official is a mere formality and only a matter of time.

Just as the win with such a wide margin was beyond the wildest imagination of the mohajote, similarly the dismal performance of their candidates must have come as a rude shock to the 4-party alliance. Even the election pundits and professional pollsters, who are adept at making forecasts before election, found themselves ludicrously out of sync with the ground reality. Looking at the massive rallies where the Awami League and BNP chiefs addressed, many pollsters predicted a neck-to-neck contest. Some observers even gave BNP-led alliance an edge on the basis of the whistle-stop campaigning by the BNP chief that was awe inspiring to them. Following past experiences, observers estimated popularity of a party by the number of meetings held and the size of the crowd. In this traditional approach two factors were ignored. Firstly, the mind-set of the 31 percent of voters who have been newly enfranchised was not analysed. Similarly, the perspective of the majority of voters who were women was not taken into consideration. These two groups represented a new 'vote bank’; they were not die-hard supporters of any party. They voted on the basis of issues, records of the political parties while in power and policy orientation of the parties on important issues. It is now apparent that these two groups constituted the independent vote bank and exercised their free will to choose candidates and the parties. The independent voters, comprising the new voters and the majority of women voters found Awami League-led mohajote not the 'best’ of all parties but 'better’ than the alternative i.e. the 4-party alliance, and cast their vote accordingly. The votes received should not go into the heads of Awami League-led mohajote because they should realise the nuances of the support given to them. The mohajote should have the humility and perspicacity to understand that the voters hesitating to grade them as 'best’ have only given them the benefit of their doubt. In other words, they have to vindicate their win through good governance and promotion of democratic culture after they take up the reins of power.

The 4-party alliance-led by BNP should accept their defeat with grace and equanimity. Allegations of rigging and false votes will not hold water and appear as credible this time. Rigging and false vote could not succeed in so many polling centres without detection by officials and neutral observers. Moreover, the 4-party alliance did not raise serious objection while voting was going on. The alliance should therefore, look at the result for what it is: a judgement given on the performance of the 4-party alliance during 2001-2006 when they were in power. The election results are also a verdict on the policies on various issues and ideology propagated by the 4-party alliance. The voters have rejected the alliance because of their misrule during five years and regressive policies on many social issues. If the last two years failed to be a wakeup call to BNP and its alliance, the drubbing at the polls should be one now. All the political parties need to reform their organisation and activities but BNP and its alliance need to do so to a greater extent.

The voters have demonstrated their maturity in making decisions about candidates and parties. Both the victors and the defeated parties should take lessons from the verdict given.

28 grenades recovered: 2 JMB men held in Ctg

RAB members arrested two JMB activists and recovered
28 grenades in Chittagong yesterday. Focus Bangla

UNB, Chittagong

RAB arrested two suspected cadres of outlawed JMB and seized 28 homemade grenades from a residential hotel in the city yesterday.

Masood and Korshed, both in their late 20s, were held from a room of Nirpad residential hotel at Teribazar at 6pm. On search, the grenades and more than 100 jihadi books and audiocassettes were recovered from the room. Hotel owner Yunus was also held for interrogation.

RAB claimed that Masood who came from Comilla has confessed his involvement in the December 23 abortive attempt of grenade attack on BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's election campaign at Debidwar. He also named his associates.

Khorshed, who comes from Chittagong, and a longtime newspaper hawker in the city, has no connection with JMB. Masood called him to the room when RAB raided the hotel room.

Odds were too many against BNP

Mostafa Kamal Majumder

Not even most of the winners of the just concluded general election can believe that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party which ruled the country for two full terms after the restoration of democracy in 1991 has been routed, to say the least. But what led to this? The BNP yesterday complained of irregularities in the election in 42 constituencies.

A large turnout of voters-according to preliminary estimates 90 per cent in the rural areas, about 80 per cent in urban areas - and a visibly peaceful polling atmosphere has made the people and election observers believe that the polling was proper and peaceful.

The results undoubtedly surprised all because nobody wanted to believe that the BNP and the Jatiya Party bagged 28 and 27 seats respectively in the election that was preceded by a campaign which demonstrated strong popularity for the BNP.

A close look would show that the BNP also suffered from a number of organisational and strategic weaknesses which it found hard to really manage to overcome in the run up to the election. The BNP during the current election was actually divided into four parties, the main party led by Begum Khaleda Zia herself and three other factions by former president Prof. AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, former minister and member of the BNP standing committee Col. Oli Ahmed and former minister and BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan under different names.

Plus the mutual mistrust created through the temporary division with a faction earlier led by former finance minister Saifur Rahman and former minister Major (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed did not really heal. Some former ministers and MPs remained with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and contested the election under the banner-Unity of nationalist independents.

Political pundits are of the view that BNP's election campaign should have been strategically more focussed. The main target of criticism of BNP leaders was the Caretaker Government which was not the contender for power while its arch rival AL was spared of the strong criticisms that it would have otherwise faced. The AL campaign was entirely targeted against the BNP which, according to observers, did not speak much to ward off.

Some observers note that terming the caretaker government a failure was pointless because they did not get to power out of their own volition, but because of failure of the political leadership to keep the political process functioning. Such criticisms thus not only missed BNP's ultimate target but also probably scared those in the administration and those who are associated with it. The BNP Chairperson's statement that if elected her party would refrain from the politics of vengeance was not probably convincing to the target audience because of too much of criticism of the Caretaker Government and her party's commitment to examine suitable changes to the law providing for the caretaker arrangement.

In this context, bringing up the issue of harassment of Begum Zia's sons and the statement coming from the Anti-Corruption Commission twice in a row in reply to contradict those right at the hour of peak election campaign might have had negative influences on the election as far as the BNP is concerned.

Then again, many analysts believe that the BNP and its allies were also the victims of geopolitical goals of big powers which do not want consolidation of power base of Islamic rightists for the former's ultimate objective of confronting China by isolating Bangladesh from its spheres of influence. The BNP and Islamists are believed to have soft corners for China.

Another factor that might also have contributed to some extent to the loss of at least some votes is the fielding of candidates from rival BNP factions which are operating under different names.

The BNP suffered most from the drive against corruption launched by the government and its front ranking leaders except Khandakar Delwar Hossain remained in jail before restrictions were eased and Begum Khaleda Zia set free on 11 September last. BNP's central office remained under lock and key till then and Khandakar Delwar Hossain had to operate from his NAM flat most of the time. AL chief Sheikh Hasina was enlarged on bail during the first fortnight of June this year and she was abroad for treatment before her recent return.

Incumbency factor, though BNP was in power nearly two years before the present caretaker government, was also not in favour of the party which again did not succeed to do much to neutralise. Compared to that the events of the erstwhile AL rule were seven to twelve years old and not fresh in the memory of the people, especially the young voters who were very young at that time.

BNP leaders fought against odds to hurriedly nominate candidates by discarding rebels and deserters. Their rivals in the AL, on the other hand, has a fixed set of candidates chosen in 2007 and also found time to make suitable changes depending on their performance and loyalty to the party during the last two years.

However, despite the many odds it may take time for the average people to come to terms with the election results that has changed the character of the strong two-party system into a unipolar system.

BNP standing body reviews polls: Results unacceptable to people: Khaleda

Staff Reporter

BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday rejected the results of election on the plea that polling was rigged at many centres.

She turned the election one of the blue print and said no such instance of vote fraud was seen in the past.

Begum Zia said, the chief election commissioner deserved to the thanked for announcing, what she turned, stage-managed results which were not acceptable to the people.

This she said was the entail reaction and more will be made known after follow-up party consultation meetings.

She told a questioner that she herself was witness to absence of polling officers in some city centres right in the middle of the election day, on play of saying prayers or having lunch.

The BNP Chairperson held a marathon meeting with party standing committee members and reviewed the just concluded parliamentary polls before making the decision known minutes after midnight last night.

The BNP is yet to give its formal reactions to the poll results showing a massive defeat to its rival the Awami League.

Just after few hours of the announcement of the disastrous set back of BNP, the standing committee meeting begun at party Chairperson’s Gulshan office at about 7:00pm with Begum Zia in the chair.

BNP’s highest policy making body’s meeting was attended, among others, by former minister M Saifur Rahman, party Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain, M Shamsul Islam, Chowdhury Tanveer Ahmed Siddiqui, Dr RA Ghani and Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Uddin.

The meeting was continuing till filling of the report at about 11:00pm.

A huge number of party leaders and activists thronged the office and chanted slogan, “Khaleda Zia, move forward: We are with you.”

Prior to the meeting, Begum Zia came to party office at 6:30pm and appeared emotional when she waved at her party leaders and supporters from the second floor of the office.

She stood there in silence for sometime as party supporters chanted slogans.

Meanwhile, some BNP candidates including Mahbubur Rahman, former army chief and BNP candidate from Dinajpur-2 and Khairul Kabir Khokon from Narshingdi-1 constituency rejected the election results of their respective constituencies brining allegations of blatant interference of the local administration in the polls.

They demanded cancellation of the election and holding fresh polls in their respective constituencies.

“The election was neither free nor fair. Had the election been free and fair, I would’ve won it,” Mahbub Rahman told reporters at a press conference yesterday.

He demanded investigation into the allegations he brought about.

Post-poll violence all over: Three killed : Army patrol should continue

UNB, Dhaka

Three people were killed and 34 injured in post-election violence in different parts of the country amid mixed feelings of pleasure and pain over Monday's dramatic election results.

In Pabna, some Awami League activists attacked the house of local BNP supporter, Saheb Ali, 40, in Sadar Upazila around 9.30 am and stabbed him to death, police and locals said.

The attackers also set fire to his house and later ransacked some adjoining houses, resulting in injuries to up to 15 people. Five of them were later admitted to the General Hospital.

Meanwhile, a UP member died of heart attack at the sight of his elder brother being assaulted allegedly by some AL activists at Udaypur in Sujanagar upazila yesterday morning.

The dead was identified as Tokai Member, 40, brother of local BNP leader Abul Kalam Azad.

Witnesses said Tokai, who rushed to rescue Azad from beating, collapsed and died on the spot during the incident that also injured UP chairman and local BNP leader Abdul Hye.

The victims blamed some AL activists of Manikhat bazar for the attack which is suspected to be linked to local post-poll political rivalries.

UNB Chittagong correspondent said, a Jubo League activist was killed at Bhatiari in Sitakundu upazila on Monday night.

Family sources said some youths called Rahim Badshah, an activist of Bhatiari union unit of the associate organization of Awami League, out of home at about 10 pm. He had been missing since then.

On information, police recovered Badshah's body, bearing injury marks in the head, at about 5:30am.

Nurul Islam Mistri, father of the victim, claimed that his son was killed by Islami Chhatra Shibir men following a brawl with Badshah in the polling centre during the election hours.

In another incident, BNP activists allegedly beat up four Awami Leaguers and also ransacked a house at Dakkhin Rajanagar in Rangunia upazila on Tuesday morning, apparently in an outbreak of post-poll violence.

Police said about a dozen activists of BNP, the former ruling party that was almost routed from their stronghold here by Awami League in Monday's polls, attacked the house of Abul Hashem, Abul Kalam, Abdus Salam and Anik at Shadeker Char at about 7 am.

"They beat up the four Awami League workers and also badly ransacked the house of Abul Kalam," says a report from the area.

Of the victims, Abul Kalam was admitted to the local health complex.

In Jessore, activists of the losing party BNP came under attack and were injured by political rivals in Jhikorgacha, Chowgacha, Sharsa and Manirampur upazilas apparently in post-poll violence Tuesday.

UNB Benapole correspondent reports that seven people were injured in separate clashes between the activists of Awami League and BNP in Sharsha upazila of Jessore district Tuesday.

Police said the clashes took place at Nizampur and Laxmanpur villages when the AL activists were celebrating the landslide victory of their party, injuring seven people.

The injured - Mizanur Rahman, Kauser, Selim Parvez, Shamim, Beltu, Ayub Hossainm and Jul Hossain-were admitted to a local hospital.

Of them, condition of Mizanur Rahman and Beltu was said to be "critical".

BNP leaders alleged that their activists were driven away from homes after beating. They said many of their activists were injured and their homes damaged by AL workers at different places in the four upazilas.

AL leaders denied involvement of their workers in such revenge action.

In Chuadanga, BCL and Juba League activists allegedly took control of Bhagiratpur village in Damuhuda upazila shortly after the landslide victory of the AL-led grand-alliance candidates traveled fast.

Local sources said panic gripped the villagers as the 40/45 activists led by BCL leader Jafar brandished at Bhagiratpur Bazar at about 10am Tuesday and asked shop owners to shut down.

District police super Morshed Alam said legal action would be taken against responsible persons after investigation.

In Laxmipur, AL activists allegedly attacked BNP workers when the AL candidate was defeated in the elections.

The BNP leaders at a press conference alleged that the AL workers had been putting pressure on them to leave the village.

Another report from Bagerhat adds: Assailants attacked the houses of a local BNP leader and his relatives at Panchakaran village in Morelganj upazila on Tuesday morning, leaving seven people wounded, including two women.

The attackers also ransacked a number of houses and looted valuables, alleged Khan Abul Kalam, former secretary of Teligati union BNP.

A group of people attacked the houses of Kalam and his relatives with sharp weapons and sticks at about 6am, said the BNP leader.

They also ransacked the houses and looted valuables during the marauding, he added.

The injured were admitted to the Sadar Hospital. Condition of three was stated critical. Local Awami League leaders said they knew nothing about such outbreaks of trouble.

The OC of Morelganj thana said police force was sent to the spot to investigate the matter.

Hasina looks to work with opposition

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

In a first comment since the historic landslide in Monday's general election, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina said yesterday she hoped to work with the opposition in parliament to strengthen democracy.

"[She] hoped to work together with all including the opposition to strengthen the county's march forward and democracy," AL election steering committee co-chairman HT Imam said.

Hasina made the comment when a UN delegation met her at her Sudha Sadan home in the city in the evening.

"The [delegation members] wanted to know from Sheikh Hasina what she would do after forming the government. In reply, our leader has said all will have to work together to go forward," Imam said.

Frances Vendrel, former EU permanent representative in Afghanistan, led the high-level delegation of the UN secretary general to monitor preparations for holding a free, fair and neutral election.

The team also comprised the former US ambassador to Bangladesh Howard B Shefer and representatives of US-based election monitoring organisations - National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute.

Imam said the UN election monitors have expressed their satisfaction over Bangladesh's ninth parliamentary election, as they think it was a free, fair and acceptable one.

The upazila parishad elections will be held on schedule, because AL wants decentralisation of power, Hasina told the delegation members, as they wanted to know whether the election would be held.

She however requested the Election Commission to extend the deadline of candidacy withdrawal, as "we have received a number of requests from different upazilas in this regard", Imam said quoting Hasina.

Hasina expressed her hope that the caretaker government would publish Monday's election results as soon as possible for forming her government.

In a historic landslide victory, the Awami League-led grand alliance won as many as 260 seats in Monday's election, giving them more than an absolute majority in the parliament.

Caretaker government adviser M Anwarul Iqbal said yesterday power would be handed over to an elected government within 10 days, after the results were gazetted and oaths taken.

"The new government will be formed after the members-elect take oath as MPs, then the caretaker government will hand over charge to the incumbent new administration," Iqbal said.

The adviser said, "A gazette is published in three to seven days after the results are announced. Therefore there is no scope to go beyond 7-10 days."

Power handover in 10 days

Staff Reporter

The process to hand over power to next government by the outgoing Caretaker Government is being started from tomorrow through publication of gazette notification containing the MPs-elect.

Election Commissioner M Sohul Hussain yesterday told reporters that the gazette with the final results would be published on Thursday.

After publication of the gazette, sources said, the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will take oath from the Speaker.

Then, the Awami League Parliamentary Party led by party chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina will elect her as the Leader of the House.

The Cabinet Secretary will inform the President office for arranging oath-taking ceremony for MPs elect at Bangabhaban.

The President will administer oath to the next Prime Minister and other members of the cabinet.

The entire process may take five days or so.

However, Secretary of the President Office Md Sirajul Islam told reporters that after publication of the gazette the process of transferring power would be completed as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Adviser for LGRD M Anwarul Iqbal yesterday told reporters that they would hand over power to an elected government in 10 days after publication of the gazette and administering oaths to MPs elect.

"The new government will be formed after the members-elect take oath as MPs, and then the government will hand over charge to the incumbent new administration," he said.

The adviser said a gazette is published in three to seven days after the results are announced. "Therefore there is no scope to go beyond 7-10 days," he added.

Asked to pass comment about the fairness of the election and the results, he said a fair and neutral election took place and the people voted for their choices.

31st celebration Extra security steps taken

Staff Reporter

The law enforcement agencies will deploy a 5,000-strong security force in the city today to check any public nuisance during the New Year's Day celebrations and post election violence.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Naim Ahmed said through a press note that policemen would be on duty as part of security measures during the New Year's Day celebrations in the city.

Naim Ahmed said DMP would remain especially alert and all security measures would be in place to ensure safety and security of city dwellers.

The Rapid Action Battalion members and intelligence agencies will also keep vigil at important city points and on the streets this afternoon to ensure safety.

The city police, meanwhile, has tightened security in and around the diplomatic enclave in the city.

A number of mobile teams of law enforcers will keep vigil at city points from today to check any nuisance of unruly New Year revellers.

The police in a release yesterday said transport movement on some city areas would be restricted at night on December 31.

All the roads and crossings, except for Kakali and Phoenix Road (Gulshan Shooting Club) leading to Gulshan, Banani and Baridhara will be put under watch.

The ban on traffic will be in force on the streets around Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Nilkhet, Plassey crossing, Bakshibazar, Chankharpool, Nimtali, Government Employees' Hospital, and the Supreme Court building.

No one but students of Dhaka University and the residents of the campus will be allowed to enter the area after 8:00pm today. But the residents can go outside the campus using any roads.

Ambulances, fire engines and vehicles of other emergency services will be kept out of the purview of the restrictions.

We have strengthened security measures around the diplomatic zone,' said a senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday.

The official said the deployment of law enforcers has been doubled in the zone, especially for the embassies of the United States, United Kingdom and the Middle-East countries.

DSE marks rise

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) registered remarkable gains after a day of the national election as investors' hoped that the peaceful election and its results would help boost the market.

The investors yesterday placed huge buying orders to get profit, pushing up the day's turnover to Tk 4.31 billion on yesterday from Tk 2.9 billion on Sunday. After two and half month, the turnover crossed the US$ 4 billion since October 21 this year.

The prices of shares gone up across the board while 175 issues, out of the total 230 bought and sold on yesterday registered gains. Besides, 50 incurred losses and five remained unchanged.

The DSE General Index (DGEN), the benchmark index, gone up 67 points or 2.45 percent to close at 2,795 while the All Shares Price Index (DSI) gained 51 points or 2.26 percent to 2,309 and DSE-20 index of selective shares rose 37 points or 1.61 percent to close at 2,329 points.

The market capitalisation increased to Tk 1.044 trillion on Tuesday from Tk 782 million on Sunday.

The Beximco Pharma, Summit Power, Titas Gas, Beximco, Shinepukur Ceramics, GrameenS2, National Bank, ACI, ACI Formulations and Uttara Bank were the day's turnover leaders in terms of value.

The day's volume leaders were AIMS 1st Mutual Fund, Beximco Textiles, GRAMEENS2, Beximco Pharma, Shinepukur Ceramics, Beximco, Quasem Dry Cell, BD Com, BD Online and Golden Son.

Top gainers of the day were BDCom, BD Online, Summit Power, Summit Alliance Port, Aramit, Beximco Synthetics, Quasem Dry Cell, Ashraf Textiles, Dulamia Cotton and Beximco Pharma.

Top losers were Shyampur Sugar, Reckitt Benckiser, Meghna Condensed Milk, Dhaka Fish, Renwick, Monno Ceramics, Islami Bank, Standard

Ceramics, Eastern Lubricants and Anwar galvanising.

Stockbrokers said the share market suffered a setback in the recent months amid apprehension over the country's political future coupled with the adverse impact of global financial crisis.

However, they said, the market started recovering from a dull trend next days.

US congratulates successful holding of elections

Staff Reporter

The United States has welcomed the successful holding of parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.

It assured continued support to the people of Bangladesh and its new government as they begin a new chapter in the country's history.

In a statement, US State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid said, "We congratulate the Bangladesh Election Commission and the thousands of government officials involved in organizing this successful election."

"We applaud the candidates and voters for the manner in which they conducted themselves during the campaign and on election day. We also acknowledge the critical role that domestic and international election observers played," he said.

Gordon Duguid said, all Bangladeshis could take great pride in the success of these elections. The high voter turnout underscores the people's desire to see democracy restored as well to have a voice in their future. We also look forward to a continuation of the reforms that have enjoyed wide popular support.

Those elected must prepare to assume their roles as the representatives of all the people of Bangladesh, while unsuccessful candidates should continue to participate in the political process. Whether in government or in opposition, all political parties have an important role in helping to build a better future for Bangladesh, he said.

President greets the people

UNB, Dhaka

President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed felicitated the countrymen on completion of Monday's general election in a free and fair way.

In a message Tuesday, he also congratulated the winning party and the Members of Parliament who were declared elected unofficially.

The Awami League-led grand alliance swept the crucial general election with a stunning two-thirds-plus majority.

President Iajuddin expressed his hope that "democratic process would be accelerated and strengthened in the country through this election".