New-look parliament with record-high independents
AL takes brute majority of 222, opposition JP dwarfed to 11
FE REPORT | Tuesday, 9 January 2024
A new-look parliament with record-high independents in Bangladesh's history emerges as Sunday's polls produced a brute majority of 222 for the ruling Awami League while dwarfed opposition Jatiya Party to 11 seats. 
Independent candidates won 62 seats in the 300-seat parliament -- and speculations are rife that they may go for forming a parliamentary platform as combined opposition.
The general election -- boycotted by main political opposition BNP and allies -- produced more surprises. The AL-led 14-party alliance's JP went blank, JSD head lost the battle and Workers Party chief swam ashore on the AL Boat but the general secretary failed to steer to the coast.
How the upcoming cabinet of AL chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may look like remains a moot question.
Sheikh Hasina, who is poised to begin a fourth straight term as premier, Monday told journalists that, after gazette publication on the election results, next cabinet would be formed through "due constitutional process".
Meanwhile, State Minister for the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said Monday the new council of ministers could be formed by January 15.
A number of MPs in the outgoing parliament and some heavyweight candidates lost the election to independent challengers, mostly from the same party.
Among them are Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, Workers Party general secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha, Jatiya Party's Sharifa Quader, Krishak Sramik Janata League's Kader Siddiqi, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's Hasanul Haque Inu, and Awami League candidates State Minister for Civil Aviation Mahbub Ali, LGRD State Minister Swapan Bhattacharjee, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman, Momtaz Begum MP, Mrinal Kanti Das MP and chairman of Trinamool BNP Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury.
The Election Commission decided to cancel the candidature of Chittagong-16 Awami League candidate Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury in the morning for threatening law-enforcement agencies.
Mr Nasrul Hamid won from Dhaka-3 constituency for a consecutive third time in the country's 12th general election as an Awami League candidate.
He came up with the prediction while talking to newsmen at his office in the secretariat. "I believe it [forming cabinet] will be completed by January 15," he said to a query about the timeframe for forming the new cabinet
"I believe it [forming of cabinet] will be completed by January 15," he said responding to a query about the timeframe for forming the new cabinet
Mr Hamid claimed the election was fair and peaceful as the Election Commission took stern actions.
Providing uninterrupted power and energy at affordable costs will be the major challenge of the next government, he told the reporters.
The MPEMR will require support from the Ministry of Finance to arrange necessary funds and contain inflation, he said.
Jatiya Party's stake in the tally has shrunk to only 11 from 26 in the previous national election held in 2018. As per the unofficial election results published by the Election Commission on Monday afternoon, other candidates won the election in three constituencies.
Polls in Naogaon-5 constituency were postponed following the death of a candidate, while the EC will organise voting in a centre under Mymensingha-3 constituency on January 13.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal said the polls were held amid a "comparatively better atmosphere".
Some 49,955,455 voters cast their votes on the day, he said, adding that 41.8 per cent of the total votes were cast.
Responding to queries from the reporters regarding voter turnout, the CEC said the EC said the turnout statistics were not finalised on Sunday afternoon as the EC was getting counts till night.
"Yesterday, I said the figure was not final, which might change after receiving the results from all polls centres," he said.
With the results for total 298 seats reaching, summing up them has not been a difficult task, he said.
"Throwing this sum into Excel (computer software) yields a percentage," he said.
The CEC also said anybody can challenge the figure and the EC would welcome.
The election this year marked the win of some new faces. Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, social-media activist Sayedul Haque Sumon and film-actor Ferdous Ahmed make their way to the legislature with election win in their maiden attempt.