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BNP at lowest ebb

Wiped out of Dhaka, Sylhet divisions

SHAKHAWAT LITON and SHARIFUL ISLAM
It is a shock-and-awe rout for the BNP, once a mighty party.
In unofficial election results, the BNP was wiped out of two divisions, including its stronghold Dhaka. It finished up with only 27 seats — the party's lowest ever score.
Similrary, the party for the first time failed to obtain any ofthe 19 parliamentary seats in Sylhet division while it suffered a crisis in strongholds of Rajshahi and Chittagong divisions.
The landslide victory of the Awami League-led grand alliance that boasts 261 seats -- the highest score bagged by an electoral alliance since the restoration of parliamentary democracy, also putjamaat-e-lslami in jeopardy. If the two major political parties are judged in historical figures, it is the BNP that ended up with a stunning defeat in two divisions in a battle of ballots. Despite running into a debacle in 2001, the AL did not face such a fate as BNP's.
Regardless of a win or failure in (lie elections since 1991, the BNP always bagged a significant number of seats in Dhaka division and - - also some in Sylhet.
In the 2001 parliamentary elections, the BNP obtained 193 seats alone with 56 in Dhaka division out of its 90 constituencies, nine out of 19 in Sylhet, 19 out of 37 in Khulna, 17 out of 23 in Barisal, 50 out of 59 in Chittagong.
In the June 12, 1996 elections. the party was beat by the AL but won 116 seats and emerged as the largest ever opposition party in parliament. The BNP won 30 in Dhaka division, 34 in Chittagong, 32 in
Rajshahi, 12 in Khulna, three in Sylhet and five in Barisal division.
In die 1991 parliamentary polls, the BNP clinched 140 seats with a significant number in the major divisions and formed the government with support of Jamaat-e-lslami.
But Monday's elections shaped up into a nightmare for die BNP as it bagged only 15 seats in Chittagong division, eight in Rajshahi. two in Khulna, and two in Barisal division.
The latest election results reduce the BNP to die level of Jatiya Party in terms of winning parliamentary seats. Al ter being thrown out of power, die Jatiya Party that had governed the country for long obtained 35 seats in 1991 elections, 32 in 1996 and 14 in 2001.
According to results, only 25 BNP candidates, including party chief Khaleda Zia, who bagged diree seats, came out successful against259nominees.
Most people blamed the BNP’s defeat on five years of its "misrule and unbridled corruption" inthecountryandalsoonits close ties with Jamaat-e-Islami that has a controversial antiliberationpast
Jamaat. which was constitutionally banned immediately after the country's independence for its anti-Liberation role and allowed to do politics again after the bloody changeover on August 15,1975.
Jamaat worked its way in to the mainstream politics with a signit -icant share in power in 2001. leveraged by the BNP
Titis time, Jamaat failed to avert its downfall, as its previous gain was pared down by a humili a ting win of two seats.
In its first parliamentary election in an independent Bangladesh in 1991, Jamaat had bagged 18 seats and emerged as a power player in politics by extending its support to the BNP toronngovenunent.
It had tried its luck in the June 1996 elections and nominated 300candidates, butobtainedonly three seats. Most of their candidates' security deposits were forfeited.
In a new strategy. it partnered with the BNP and managed 17 seats in 2001 elections. But it could not prevent its downfall in Monday's polls as it won only three seats though nomination over -10 candidates, including its chief and secretary general.
On the other hand, the AL won a landslide victory after thecoun-try's first election held in 1973. The party' came to power in the June 1996 elections with I46seats.
Ilie AL lost out to live BNP-Jamaat-led four partv alliance in 2001 and finished die election race with only 62 seats.
In its election strategy, the AL teamed up with Jatiya Party, preventing it from straying into the BNP folds. In die unofficial election results of 295 constituencies, die Al .cruisedalongwith229sears.