He said, the election atmosphere was festive and the security arrangements were tight. Apart from the recovery of bombs and some isolated incidents, there was no major violence. However, after the voting there were reports of attacks and looting targeting the houses of BNP supporters in various parts of the country.
Campaigning was conducted following the election code of conduct. There was no graffiti on the walls, and posters were not pasted directly onto them. Instead, black and white posters were hung from string. There were no grand arches or gates bearing candidates’ photographs, no motorcycle processions, and no indiscriminate loudspeaker advertising.
The main contest was between the Awami League-led Grand Alliance and the BNP-led four-party alliance. Voter turnout was recorded at 86.29 percent – although this figure itself sparked debate, as such participation had not been seen in any previous parliamentary election.
Awami League won 230 seats, while BNP won 30 seats. Jamaat-e-Islami, a partner in the four-party alliance, contested 39 seats and won two.
The subsequent national elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 have been characterized as largely uncontested elections, “night-time voting” or rigged elections. As a journalist and a citizen, I hope that future elections will never again be clouded by uncertainty, and that they will never be one-sided.