1991 Bangladeshi general election

Background

In 1990 a mass uprising led by future Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina deposed the former Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad from power in December. Ershad had assumed the presidency in 1983 following a coup d'état in 1982.

The previous general elections had been held in 1988 and saw Ershad's Jatiya Party win 251 of the 300 seats. However, the elections had been boycotted by all major opposition parties and were described by one Western diplomat as "a mockery of an election". On 6 December 1990, the day of Ershad's resignation, parliament was dissolved and new elections were scheduled for 2 March 1991, but subsequently advanced to 27 February, with all major political parties participating.

Electoral system

The 330 members of the Jatiya Sangsad consisted of 300 directly elected seats using first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies, and an additional 30 seats reserved for women. The reserved seats were elected by the directly elected members. Each parliament sits for a five-year term.

Campaign

During the announcement of the party manifesto ahead of the general election, Sheikh Hasina expressed optimism about the Awami League securing a two-thirds majority in Parliament. The party pledged to restore the 1972 Constitution and re-establish the parliamentary system if elected. On the campaign trail in Bogra, Hasina emphasized the party's focus on realistic commitments, promising solutions to regional issues such as the construction of the Jamuna Bridge. Her confidence in electoral victory was evident in various speeches, including a rally in Khulna where she was quoted by The Daily Ittefaq saying that both at home and abroad, people believed the Awami League would return to power. In contrast, BNP leader Khaleda Zia combined promises of development with warnings against voting for the Awami League. At a rally on Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue, she stated, “We hold the flag of independence, others hold the chains of servitude,” urging voters to choose the BNP's symbol, the sheaf of paddy, to protect national sovereignty.

Results

The elections saw the BNP win 140 of the 300 directly elected seats, 11 short of a parliamentary majority. The BNP's primary rivals, the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, won only 88 seats. However, there was little difference between the two main parties in terms of the popular vote share, with BNP only receiving around 250,000 votes more than the Awami League.

Of the directly elected 300 seats, only four were won by female candidates. Following the elections, the BNP won 28 of the 30 reserved seats for women.

Aftermath

In September 1991 a constitutional referendum was held, which sought the transfer of executive powers from the President to the Prime Minister, making the presidency largely a ceremonial role. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour of the constitutional amendments and the country returned to being a parliamentary democracy in line with its founding constitution.

Following the announcement of the general election results, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina alleged at a press conference that undemocratic forces had subtly manipulated the outcome. A letter by Awami League leader Dr. Kamal Hossain, written to the party’s executive council, stirred considerable debate. In it, he attributed the party’s defeat to overconfidence, arrogance, and lack of grassroots engagement. Dr. Hossain noted that many Awami League leaders and activists had assumed victory well in advance, leading to complacency. He also criticized the party's weak counter-campaign against right-wing and anti-independence forces who had portrayed the Awami League as pro-India and anti-religion.

Meanwhile, discussions continued between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami regarding government formation. Eventually, Jamaat-e-Islami formally communicated its support for the BNP to the acting president. On 20 March 1991, Khaleda Zia was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

References

References

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3. Bangladesh Election Commission. (1991). "Report on election activities: Jatiya Sangsad Elections, 1991 (in Bengali)". Government Printing Press.
4. (6 December 1990). "WORLD: Ershad Resigns in Bangladesh". [[Los Angeles Times]].
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