Common people and political observers in Chittagong find widespread corruption, unbearable price hike, partisanship to anti-liberation forces and involvement with militancy as major reasons behind the setback of BNP-led four-party alliance that had won 13 out of the then 15 seats in the district in 2001.

This time BNP-led alliance won only four of the present 16 seats in the district.

The voters are now very much conscious and they wanted a change, said people from different walks of life as they talked to this correspondent in last two days.

Even many of those who had been diehard supporters of BNP since its inception either voted for grand alliance candidates or cast 'No-vote' this time, said several locals.

"We voted for 'boat' symbol this time as we no longer wanted to see corruption and

misrule,” said Shahana Aziz and his husband Almas Hossain Raju, who were earlier known as strong supporters of BNP

Asked about their rejecting BNP, they posed the question, "Had you ever imagined one kg of rice selling at over Tk 40? Did the four-party alliance think about the common people while allowing corruption practised by Tarique, Koko, Falu and many others?”

AHM Kaiser and his wife Shaheen, a couple living in the city's Lalkhan Bazar, said they cast 'No-vote' since they wanted neither the vicious cycle of poverty due to the corruption by BNP nor that of insecurity that Awami League government earlier presented through widespread crimes.

“The people always took the right decision,” said SM Tauhidul Haq, a businessman who returned to his city residence Tuesday afternoon after casting vote in his village home constituency the previous day.

“They rejected Awami

League in 2001 to get rid of the reign of extortion and crime and this time they have rejected BNP-led alliance for indulging in corruption that pushed the countrymen into a state of misery,” he said.

“After formation of the government the first task for the Awami League-led grand alliance would be to rid the people of price hike of essentials and corruption as well as ensure that terrorism does not return in anyway," saidTauhid, who is also a social leader.

Tayaab Chowdhury, an associate professor of Chittagong University, identifies widespread corruption, partisanship to anti-liberation forces and tolerance to the rise of militancy as the reasons behind the debacle ofBNP and its alliance.

"The 32 per cent newvoters of the new generation contributed a lot to the landslide victory of Awami League that pledged upholding the spirit of Liberation War and trial of war criminals,” he said.