2023_Bangladesh_Jatiya_Sangsad_by-elections

2023 Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad by-elections

2023 Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad by-elections

By-elections in Bangladesh

In 2023, by-elections are scheduled to be held for vacant seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, the legislative body of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. In the Jatiya Sangsad, MPs for 300 seats are elected directly and MPs for 50 reserved women seats are elected indirectly by the MPs, thus popular by-elections are only held in the direct seats. As the 11th parliament is scheduled to be expire on 29 January 2024 and the Election Commission has announced to hold the next Bangladeshi general election between late December 2023 to early January 2024,[1][2] all candidates elected by these by-polls will be members of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad.

Quick Facts Registered, Turnout ...

By-elections this year held much more significance than other by-elections during this (11th) parliament. Bangladesh has experienced democratic backsliding in recent years.[3] Although all of the by-elections are boycotted by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and it's allies. BNP and it's allies, which are the 'political opposition' of the AL, has continuously accused the ruling Awami League of vote rigging and electoral dishonesty.

The first by-election was held after being postponed by the Election Commission after they witnessed 'mass irregularities', which other parties and observers had alleged before.[4] However, the seat was later won by the ruling party.[5][6]

Seven of the by-polls were held due to the resignation of BNP lawmakers from the parliament in December 2022 as part of their anti-governmental campaign. One of them was an MP for a reserved seat. The direct seats were all won by AL-backed candidates except one.[7] BNP's Abdus Sattar Bhuiyan resigned from the party to re-run in the election and won. His election led to major political discussions and the popularization of the term 'candidate models'.

Except these, by-elections were held in Chattogram-8, Dhaka-17 and Chattogram-10 with a very low voter turnout, with the AL candidate winning in the Netrokona-4 and Natore-4 unopposed. Incidents regarding the Dhaka-17 by-election resulted in some diplomatic and domestic actions and reactions. Eventually, political oppositions of the AL are predicted to continue boycotting elections under the current government led by Sheikh Hasina.

Reasons and schedules for by-elections

Events leading to by-elections

As of 1 August 2023, there were 12 by-elections held in the country due to these following reasons:

More information Date, Constituency ...

By-election schedules

January

By-election was held for 1 vacant seat in the parliament.[16][17]

More information By-election event, Date ...

February

By-elections were held for 6 vacant seats in the parliament.

More information By-election event, Date ...

Political parties and candidature

Party-wise candidate list

  • Political parties:
  • Independent(s): 20 independent candidates competed in 10 different seats.
More information Party, Seats Contested ...

Election(s)

Gaibandha-5

The Gaibandha-5 seat is the 33rd constituency of the parliament, which has been in control of JaPa and AL in different times. Miah won as a JaPa candidate on this seat in 1986 and 1991. Miah later joined AL and lost in 2001 to JaPa's Raushan Ershad, and then he won beating Raushan in 2008. He then served as the MP of this seat and as the Deputy Speaker of the parliament until his death on 22 July 2022, winning all elections in the midway as an AL candidate.

As the Election Commission announced the election schedule, only three political parties nominated candidates. Among four to five nomination seekers,[18][19] AL nominated Mahmud Hasan as their party candidate, who was the former president of Chhatra League (AL's student-wing) from 2006 to 2011.[20] On the other hand, JaPa nominated Golam Shahid Ranju,[21] who was the Vice-Chairman of the party in Gaibandha during the election.[22] Ranju also ran as a JaPa candidate 2018, but he lost to Miah by a large margin. Apart from these two, Bikalpa Dhara's Jahangir Alam and six independent candidates submitted nomination papers, although four of the independent candidates' candidacy were cancelled after scrutiny.[1]

Thakurgaon-3

Bogura-4

Bogura-6

Chapai Nawabganj-2

Chapai Nawabganj-3

Brahmanbaria-2

Chattogram-8

Dhaka-17

Chattogram-10

Netrokona-4

Reserved Women Seat-50

Lakhshmipur-3

Brahmanbaria-2

Results

Summary

More information Party, Symbol ...

Constituency-wise

Gaibandha-5

More information Party, Candidate ...

Thakurgaon-3

More information Party, Candidate ...

Bogura-4

More information Party, Candidate ...

Bogura-6

More information Party, Candidate ...

Chapai Nawabganj-2

More information Party, Candidate ...

Chapai Nawabganj-3

More information Party, Candidate ...

Brahmanbaria-2

More information Party, Candidate ...

Notes

  1. Initially scheduled for 20 March, but the only candidate was declared winner unopposed
  2. Although the Chattogram-10 election was held as scheduled; in the Netrokona-4 election, initially scheduled for 2 September, the only candidate was declared winner unnopposed
  3. Initially scheduled for 11 October, but the only candidate was declared winner unopposed
  4. Initially scheduled for 26 November, but the only candidate was declared winner unopposed
  5. Unique figure; by-election was held twice in Brahmanbaria-2. Thus 15 by-election was held in 14 direct seats.
  6. Total number of voters of these constituencies (excludes seats won unopposed):
  7. Constituency-wise break-up (excludes seats won unopposed):

    Turnout figures of Lakshmipur-3 and Brahmanbaria-2 include statistics of polling centers rejected for electoral fraud.
  8. Seats in the vacant seats before vacancy and election
  9. Boycotted after the by-election was rescheduled, but as the date of withdrawal was passed he was still an option for the voters to vote in the EVMs.[25]

References

  1. [1]
    "Tenure of All Parliaments". House of the Nation: Parliament of Bangladesh. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Bangladesh to hold next general election in January 2024: EC". The Daily Observer. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. [3]
    Riaz, Ali (21 September 2020). "The pathway of democratic backsliding in Bangladesh". Democratization. 28 (1): 179–197. doi:10.1080/13510347.2020.1818069. ISSN 1351-0347. S2CID 224958514.
  4. [4]
    "Irregularities abound in Gaibandha-5 by-polls". The Daily Star. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  5. [5]
    "Gaibandha-5 by-polls: Awami League candidate wins by huge margin". Dhaka Tribune. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  6. [6]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ আসনে নৌকার প্রার্থী রিপন বিজয়ী" [Boat's candidate Ripon wins in Gaibandha-5 constituency]. Jugantor. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. [7]
    Hossain, Anowar (5 February 2023). "আ. লীগকে পাশে না পেয়ে ১৪ দলের শরিকদের অনেক প্রশ্ন" [14 Party's allies have many questions as they don't get A. League on their side]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  8. [8]
    "By-election to Gaibandha-5 constituency Wednesday". Jagonews24.com. 3 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Gaibandha-5 by-polls on January 4". New Age. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. [10]
    "7 BNP MPs announce resignation at Dhaka rally". The Daily Star. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Six BNP MPs resign". New Age. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  12. [12]
    "BNP lawmaker Harun resigns from parliament". Prothom Alo. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  13. [13]
    "হারুনের আসনেও উপ নির্বাচন ১ ফেব্রুয়ারি" [By-election in Harun's constituency on 1 February also]. Bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 26 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  14. [14]
    "Awami League candidate wins Lakshmipur-3 by-polls by huge margin". Dhaka Tribune. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  15. [15]
    "AL candidates declared winners of Lakshmipur-3, B'baria-2 by-polls". The Business Standard. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  16. [16]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ উপনির্বাচনে মনোনয়নপত্র জমা দিলেন ৯ প্রার্থী" [9 candidates submit nomination papers in Gaibandha-5 by-polls]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 13 September 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  17. [17]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ আসনে উপনির্বাচন ১২ অক্টোবর" [By-election in Gaibandha-5 seat on 12 October]. Jugantor. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  18. [18]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ উপনির্বাচন: তিন দলের ৬ মনোনয়নপ্রত্যাশী" [Gaibandha-5 by-election: 6 nomination-seekers of three parties]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 6 August 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  19. [19]
    Palash, Zillur Rahman (23 August 2022). "আওয়ামী লীগ দলীয় মনোনয়নে ভুল করলে আসনটি যাবে জাপার দখলে!" [If Awami League makes mistake in nomination the seat will go under JaPa's control!]. Jaijaidin. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  20. [20]
    Roy, Debasish (10 September 2023). "গাইবান্ধা-৫ উপনির্বাচনে আ.লীগের মনোনয়ন পেলেন রিপন" [Ripon gets nomination of A.League in Gaibandha-5 by-election]. Somoy TV (in Bengali). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  21. [21]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ আসনের জাপার মনোনয়ন প্রত্যাশী গোলাম শহীদ রঞ্জু আলোচনায় শীর্ষে !!" [Golam Shahid Ranju, who is hoping for the nomination of JaPa for Gaibandha-5 seat, is at the top of the discussion!!]. GonoManusherAwaj.com. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  22. [22]
    "এসএম গোলাম শহীদ রঞ্জু" [SM Golam Shahid Ranju]. Jatiya Party-JaPa. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  23. [23]
    "Awami League candidate Ripon wins Gaibandha-5 by-election". Bdnews24. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  24. [24]
    "AL candidate Ripon wins Gaibandha-5 by-polls | News". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  25. [25]
    "গাইবান্ধা-৫ উপনির্বাচনে তিন প্রার্থীর জামানত বাজেয়াপ্ত" [Deposit of three candidates in Gaibandha-5 by-election forfeited]. Dhaka Times 24. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  26. [26]
    "প্রার্থীতা ফিরে পেলেন গোপাল, ভোটের মাঠে নতুন মেরুকরণ" [Gopal regaines his candidacy, new polarization in the voting field]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 24 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  27. [27]
    "বগুড়া-৪ আসনের উপনির্বাচন : আইনি লড়াই শেষে সাত প্রার্থী" [By-election of Bogra-4 constituency: Seven candidates after legal battle]. kalbela.com (in Bengali). 18 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  28. [28]
    "দুই আসনে অর্ধেকেরই মনোনয়নপত্র বাতিল, সদরে 'নির্ভার' আ.লীগ" [Half of the nomination papers cancelled in two seats, A.League unburdened in Sadar]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 8 January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  29. [29]
    Azad, Abul Kalam (27 January 2023). "জয় পেতে বিএনপি-জামায়াতের ভোটের দিকে নজর প্রার্থীদের" [Candidates look at BNP-Jama'ats' votes to win]. Daily Naya Diganta (in Bengali). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  30. [30]
    Hasan, Rabiul (26 January 2023). "উপনির্বাচনের প্রচারণায় ব্যস্ত প্রার্থীরা, দিচ্ছেন নানান প্রতিশ্রুতি" [Candidates busy in by-election campaign, giving various promises]. The Daily Star (Bangla). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  31. [31]
    Ahmed, Foisal; Shonchay, Azizul (22 January 2023). "Brahmanbaria-2 by-polls: AL's astute politics to elect Abdus Sattar". The Business Standard. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
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