Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance swept the December 29 general election held in a free and fair manner, throwing BNP-led four-party alliance on

Dr Afsarul Amin

the political scrapheap in Chittagong.

The AL once again has proved its organisational strength, popularity and commitment to win hearts of the common people through the sweeping victory here.

The grand alliance partners sailed through the election in all the constituencies known as stronghold of Bangladesh

ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury

Nationalist Party (BNP) in Chittagong.

AL lost three seats -Chittagong-2 (Fatikchhari), Chittagong-15 (Banshkhali) and Chittagong-16 (offshore island of Sandwip), out of 16, in Chittagong due to weak candidates, say observers. They said these seats are never regarded as BNP strongholds.

AL along with alliance

M Abdul Latif

partners bagged 16,83,786 votes, which is 5,78,492 more than 11,05,296 it got in 2001 election. The four-party alliance got 15,84,029 votes, out of 43,89,537, in all the constituencies here.

The grand alliance defeated four-party alliance by 99,757 votes. The four-party had defeated AL by a margin of 2,34,632 votes in

Hasina Ahmed

the then 15 constituencies (now 16 constituencies) in 2001.

There were 37,34,384 voters in the 15 constituencies in 2001 and the number of voters stood at 43,89,537 this year after delimitation of the constituencies from 15 to 16 seats with an increase in 6,55,153 voters.

AL got 11,05,294 votes while the four-party bagged 13,39,926 votes in 2001.

In the direct fight between four-party alliance and AL in 2001, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, a BNP heavyweight, defeated AL candidate Dr Afsarul Amin by the highest number of votes of 52,386 in the then Chittagong-8 (Kotwali, now Chittagong-10).

Amir Khasru bagged 1,81,584 votes, out of 4,84,127, while his nearest rival Dr Afsarul got 1,29,198 votes.

But Amir Khasru was defeated by grand alliance candidate MA Latif by 22,645 votes in the ninth national election.

Dr Hasan Mahmud

Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President MA Latif, a new face in AL politics and electoral race, got 1,64,591 votes while Amir Khasru 1,41,946, out of 4,33,949 votes.

This is one of the important seats in the port city because country's premier seaport is situated and most of the commercial activities carry out here that

Akhteruzzaman Chowdhury

also contains 10 wards of Chittagong City Corporation (rm

The BNP and AL candidates, however, lost to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Shahjahan Chowdhury by 41,589 and 56,841 votes in the Satkania constituency in 2001.

The highest difference where the alliances fought directly was noticed at Chittagong-2 (Fatikchhari) this year. Four-party candidate Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury got

Engineer Mosharraf Hossain

1,29,333 votes against AL nominee ATM Peyarul Islam who received 92,266 votes. The difference was 37,067 votes while the total votes were 2,80,146.

However, four-party alliance candidate from Jamaat for Chittagong-14 (Satkania-Lohagara) ANM Shamsul Islam defeated his nearest rival LDP candidate Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed and grand alliance candidate Muhammad Sultanul Kabir Chowdhury by 56,927 and 70,867 votes.

BNP secured eight seats while AL five, Jamaat one and now defunct National Democratic Party (NDP) one seat of the 15 constituencies in 1991 election.

BNP won 10 constituencies out of 15 seats while AL bagged five in the 1996.

Later, BNP was able to increase their seat from 10 to

Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury

12 after forming the four-party alliance in 2001 while AL got only two seats and Jamaat got one.

In a drastic fall in the December 29 election, BNP-led four-party alliance lost 12 seats, out of 16, while the grand alliance and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured 11 and one seats. Chittagong-1 (Mirer Sarai) Former minister for Housing and Civil Aviation Engineer Mosharraf Hossain won the

Anisul Islam Mahmud

constituency this year that was won by the BNP candidates in 1991,1996 and 2001.

Mosharraf won the constituency in a byelection in 1996 when Khaleda Zia left the constituency.

Mosharraf got 1,05,339 votes to defeat BNP candidate industrialist MDM Kamal Uddin by 10,674 votes. Kamal got 94,665 votes while the number of voters was 2,35,270.

In 2001, four-party candidate Mohammad Ali Jinnah got 86,839 votes and defeated Engineer

Jafrul Islam Chowdhury

Mosharraf by 4,506 votes. Chittagong-3 (Sitakunda) AL candidate ABM Abul Kashem Master won the constituency with a margin of 23,368 votes against his rival BNP candidate Mohammad Aslam Chowdhury.

Kashem bagged 1,36,298 votes while Aslam 1,12,930. out of 3,06,833, in the constituency.

BNP candidate Engineer LK Siddiqui won the seat (the then Chittagong-2) defeating Kashem in 2001. Siddiqui got 67,512 votes while Kashem 46,045.

Chittagong-4 (Hathazari)

Jatiya Party contender Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud was favoured by the voters of the constituency. He won it defeating former whip and BNP candidate Syed WahidulAlam.

Anisul bagged 1,32,168 votes against his rival's 1,06,975 who won the seat in 1991, 1996, 2001. Wahid got 84,063 votes while AL candidate Ibrahim Hossain Babul73,938in2001.

Chittagong-5 (Raozan)

AL candidate Fazle Karim Chowdhury achieved second consecutive win in the constituency against his rival BNP candid.%te Giasuddin Quader

Chowdhury.

He defeated Giasuddin, younger brother of Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, by only 7,895 votes.

Fazle Karim bagged 86,606 votes while Giasuddin received 78,711 votes, out of 2,10,498.

Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury

Salahuddin Quader won the seat in 1991 while Giasuddin in 1996. In 2001, Fazle Karim bagged 74,669 votes against Giasuddin's 67,340.

Chittagong-6

AL President Sheikh Hasina’s personal assistant Dr Hasan Mahmud came out successful in the constituency fighting with the BNP heavyweight Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury who had kept the seat under his grip in the 1996 and 2001 elections.

In this election, Hasan got 1,01,340 votes to defeat his rival Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury by 29,267 votes. Salahuddin got the favour of 72.073 voters, out of

ABM Abul Kashem Master

2,00,203.

Chittagong-7 (CKandgaon-Boalkhali) Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) candidate Mainuddin Khan Badal who fought from the grand alliance with boat symbol won the seat with 1,50,648 votes while his rival BNP candidate industrialist Ershad Ullah got 1,33,466, outof3,76,380.

The constituency, known as BNP stronghold, was won by the BNP candidates in

Mostafa Kamal Pasha

Nurul Islam BSc

1991,1996 and 2001.

Former foreign minister Morshed Khan had won the seat in 1996 and 2001 while Sirajul Islam in 1991.

This is the first time BNP had to lose the seat won by Badal for 17,182 votes.

Chittagong-8 (Kotwali) AL candidate Nurul Islam BSc defeated BNP candidate businessman Shamsul Alam in this prestigious constituency with a deference of30,927 votes.

Mainuddin Khan Badal

Nurul Islam got 1,40,411 votes against his rival's 1,09,484 votes in this much-talked-about seat where BNP big shot former minister Abdullah Al Noman. BNP won it in the 1991 and 2001 elections.

Former minister MA Mannan of AL won the seat in 1996.

Chittagong-9 (Doublemooring-Pah art ali)

BNP heavyweight Abdullah Al Noman was defeated by the AL candidate Dr Afsarul Amin for 9,291 votes in the constituency where BNP candidates dominated over three elections in 1991,1996 and 2001.

In this December 29 election, Afsarul bagged 1,37,106 votes and Noman got 1,27,815 votes.

Chittagong-11 (Patiya)

AL candidate Shamsul Haque Chowdhury swept out BNP candidate Gazi Mohammad Shahjahan Jewel who won the seat in 1996 and 2001 elections while BNP also won the seat in 1991.

Shamsul defeated Jewel by 28,713 votes bagging 1,03,869 votes against Jewel's 75,156 votes.

In 2001, Jewel bagged 79,914 votes while AL candidate Moslem Uddin Chowdhury got 63,250 votes, out of2,09,342.

Chittagong-12 (Anwara)

AL candidate Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury

Babu could save the constituency that he won in 1991. It was spared to the BNP candidate Sarwar Jamal Nizam in 1996 and 2001 elections.

Babu defeated Sarwar by a margin of 24,200 votes bagging a total of 1,10,951 votes against his opponent's

Shamsul Islam

86,751 in this election.

In 2001, Sarwar got 76,473 votes against Babu's 68,187 that made difference of only 8,286 votes, out of2,12,844. Chittagong-13 (Chandanaish)

LDP candidate Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed secured his fourth consecutive win in this constituency since 1991 defeating both the grand alliance candidate Engineer Afser Uddin Ahmed and four-party candidate Mizanul Haque Chowdhury.

Oli bagged 82,306 votes while Afser got 61,646 and Mizanul 33,335 votes. Oli won the seat with BNP ticket in 1991,1996 and 2001 elections.

In 2001, Oli defeated AL

Abdur Rahman Bodi

candidate Afser by a margin of 12,316 votes bagging 70,016 against Afser's 57,700 votes.

Chittagong-14 (Satkania-Lohagara) Jamaat candidate ANM Shamsul Islam defeated the LDP candidate Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed and AL candidate Sirajul Islam Chowdhury by a large margin of 56,927 and 70,867 votes.

Shamsul bagged 1,20,339 votes while Oli 63,412 votes and Sirazul 49,472 votes.

The constituency, a stronghold of Jamaat, was won by Jamaat candidate Shahjahan Chowdhury in 1991 and 2001 while Oli saved it in 1996 with BNP ticket.

Chittagong-15 (Banskhali) Former state minister Jafrul Islam Chowdhury maintained his three consecutive win in this constituency defeating AL

Col (Retd) Dr Oli Ahmad Bir Bikram

candidate Sultanul Kabir Chowdhury that he won it in 1991.

Jafrul got 99,896 votes against Sultanul's 91,870 that made the difference of only 8,026 votes.

In 2001, Jafrul defeated Sultanul by a margin of 44,542 votes.

Chittagong-16 (Sandwip) BNP saw another victory in the offshore constituency where AL rebel Mustafizur Rahman fought independently despite having AL candidate Jamal Uddin Chowdhury.

BNP candidate Mostafa

Hamidur Rahman Azad.

Kamal Pasha, who won the seat in 2001, bagged 61,154 votes while his nearest rival Mustafizur got 32,007 votes and Jamal 19,205 votes.

In 2001, Mostafa defeated the then AL candidate .Mustafizur by a margin of 30,411 votes, out of 1,60,923 votes. Mostafa bagged 69,546 votes against his rival's 39,135 votes.

Cox's Bazar

BNP candidates Hasina Ahmed and Lutfur Rahman won the Cox's Bazar-1 and Cox's Bazar-3 constituencies with 1,56,512 and 1,26,478 votes.

The was won by the

Jammat candidate AHM Hamidur Rahman won Cox's Bazar-2 constituency with 1,04,271 votes and AL candidate Abdur Rahman Bodi clinched Cox's Bazar-4 with 1,03,626 votes.

Bir Bahadur