What is Election?
An election is a formal group decision-making process by
which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public
office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative
democracy has operated since the 17th century.
National Assembly of Bangladesh
The Jatiya Sangsad (Bengali: জাতীয় সংসদ Jatiyô Sôngsôd; lit. ’National Parliament’), often referred to simply as the Sangsad or JS and also known as the House of the Nation, is the supreme legislative body of Bangladesh. Elected occupants are called Member of Parliament, or MP. Elections to the body are held every five years, unless a parliament is dissolved earlier by the President of Bangladesh.
National Assembly election in Bangladesh
Bangladesh elects on national level a legislature with one house or chamber. The unicameral Jatiyo Sangshad, meaning national parliament, has 350 members of which 300 members are directly elected through a national election for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies while 50 memberships are reserved for the women who are selected by the ruling party or coalition. The Prime Minister is the head of the government. The president who is the head of the state is elected by the National Parliament. The president of Bangladesh is a ceremonial post and he/she does not exercise any control over the running of the state.
Bangladesh Election Commission (EC)
Establishment of Election Commission
The Constitution of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh; PART VII; ELECTIONS (ACT NO. OF 1972)
118. (1) There shall be an
Election Commission for Bangladesh consisting of 1[the Chief Election
Commissioner and not more than four Election Commissioners] and the appointment
of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (if any)
shall, subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf, be made by the
President.
(2) When the Election Commission
consists of more than one person, the Chief Election Commissioner shall act as
the chairman thereof.
(3) Subject to the provisions of
this Constitution the term of office of an Election Commissioner shall be five
years from the date on which he enters upon his office, and –
(a) a person who
has held office as Chief Election Commissioner shall not be eligible for
appointment in the service of the Republic;
(b) any other
Election Commissioner shall, on ceasing to hold office as such, be eligible for
appointment as Chief Election Commissioner but shall not be otherwise eligible
for appointment in the service of the Republic.
(4) The Election Commission shall
be independent in the exercise of its functions and subject only to this
Constitution and any other law.
(5) Subject to the provisions of
any law made by Parliament, the conditions of service of Election Commissioners
shall be such as the President may, by order, determine:
Provided that an Election
Commissioner shall not be removed from his office except in like manner and on
the like grounds as a Judge of the [Supreme Court].
(6) An Election Commissioner may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the President.
Qualifications and disqualifications for election to
Parliament
The Constitution of the People’s
Republic of Bangladesh (ACT NO. OF 1972); Part V, THE LEGISTER; CHAPTER I: Parliament.
66. (1) A person shall subject to
the provisions of clause (2), be qualified to be elected as, and to be, a
member of Parliament if he is a citizen of Bangladesh and has attained the age
of twenty-five years.
(2) A person shall be
disqualified for election as, or for being, a member of Parliament who
(a) is declared by a competent
court to be of unsound mind;
(b) is an undischarged
insolvent;
(c) acquires the citizenship of,
or affirms or acknowledges allegiance to, a foreign state;
(d) has been, on conviction for a
criminal offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a
term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed
since his release
(e) has been convicted of any
offence under the Bangladesh Collaborators (Special Tribunals) Order, 1972;
(f) holds any office of profit in
the service of the Republic other than an office which is declared by law not
to be disqualified its holder; or]
(g) is disqualified for such election
by or under any law.
[(2A) Notwithstanding anything
contained in sub-clause (c) of clause (2) of this article, if any person being
a citizen of Bangladesh by birth acquires the citizenship of a foreign State
and thereafter such person-
(i) in the case of dual
citizenship, gives up the foreign citizenship ; or
(ii) in other cases, again
accepts the citizenship of Bangladesh- for the purposes of this article,
he shall not be deemed to acquire the citizenship of a foreign State.]
[(3) For the purposes of this
article, a person shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit in the
service of the Republic by reason only that he is the President, the Prime
Minister, the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, a Minister, Minister of State or
Deputy Minister.]
(4) If any dispute arises as to
whether a member of Parliament has, after his election, become subject to any
of the disqualifications mentioned in clause (2) or as to whether a member of
Parliament should vacate his seat pursuant to article 70, the dispute shall be
referred to the Election Commission to hear and determine it and the decision
of the Commission on such reference shall be final.
(5) Parliament may, by law, make such provision as it deems necessary for empowering the Election Commission to give full effect to the provisions of clause (4)
Elected Parties in Earlier Elections
Since independence in 1971, 11 general elections have been
held in Bangladesh to elect members of the Jatiya Sangsad.
|
Year |
Elected
Party |
Votes |
% |
Seats |
|
1970 |
Awami
League |
12,338,921 |
74.9% |
160 |
|
1973 |
Awami
League |
13,798,717 |
73.20% |
293 |
|
1979 |
Bangladesh
Nationalist Party |
7,934,236 |
41.179% |
207 |
|
1986 |
Jatiya
Party |
12,079,259 |
42.34% |
153 |
|
1988 |
Jatiya
Party |
17,080,133 |
68.44% |
251 |
|
1991 |
Bangladesh
Nationalist Party |
10,507,549 |
30.8% |
140 |
|
1996 |
Awami League |
15,882,792 |
37.48% |
146 |
|
2001 |
Bangladesh Nationalist Party |
22,833,298 |
40.9% |
193 |
|
2008 |
Awami League |
33,654,629 |
48.84% |
230 |
|
2014 |
Awami League |
36,173,083 |
79.14% |
234 |
|
2018 |
Awami League |
63,523,066 |
74.63% |
252 |