AL gets absolute majority in 12th national polls

The Awami League (AL) got an absolute majority in the 12th national parliamentary elections held on Sunday. 

Ruling party candidates won in 223 seats, while independent candidates - most of them allied to AL - won 61 seats.

Besides, Jatiya Party got victorious in only 11 seats and the AL’s allies the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Workers Party won one each. The Bangladesh Kalyan Party, which had once been in the BNP-led coalition, also secured a win in one seat.

However, the election result of Mymensingh-3 constituency was suspended over irregularities in one polling centre. 

The Sunday’s balloting was held in 299 constituencies out of 300 ones as the Election Commission earlier postponed the election to Naogaon-2 following the death of independent candidate Aminul Islam.

A total of 1,970 candidates, including 1,534 from 28 political parties and 436 independents, vied in the polls.

Of the candidates, 266 from the ruling Awami League (AL), 265 from Jatiya Party (JaPa), 135 from Trinomul BNP, 66 from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), 122 from National People's Party (NPP), 13 from Jatiya Party (JP) and 10 from Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh contested in the polls.

A total of 90 female candidates, including from political parties and independents, and 79 from ethnic minority and other groups also vied in the polls.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday afternoon said around 40 percent votes were cast in the polls.