The New Nation - Internet Edition

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.