The January 7 election, the new parliament as well as the new cabinet have created much hype in the country’s political arena and attracted common people due to some unique features.
Because of the BNP’s boycott of the election, the ruling Awami League allowed the party’s leaders, who did not get the Boat symbol, to participate as independent candidates, and gave concession to the Jatiya Party in 26 seats.
Earlier, JaPa leaders had said that they would contest the election independent of any alliance and announced candidates for 287 constituencies in late November. However, 220 of them withdrew from the race because of the seat-sharing controversy.
Even though the Awami League conceded 26 seats, the JaPa could only secure 11 of them in the January 7 election. There are 62 independent MPs in the 12th parliament, but since they have chosen not to form an alliance, the JaPa has become the opposition.
The ruling party won an overwhelming majority by getting 223 seats and the Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Bangladesh Kalyan Party won one seat each.
In 2008, JaPa won 27 seats as a partner of the Awami League-led grand alliance. Later, it won 29 seats in 2014 and 22 in 2018 in seat-sharing deals with the ruling Awami League but became the opposition in parliament both times.
Who are the winners?
All but one of the 11 new MPs from JaPa were in the 11th parliament and most of them have been re-elected in the election by huge margins.
Party Chairman GM Quader was elected from Rangpur-3 seat, defeating his nearest rival by a margin of 58,535 votes. He was relieved from the post of party chief by the party's Chief Patron Raushan Ershad on Sunday.
JaPa Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu came out successful in the Kishoreganj-3 constituency with a vote difference of 15,504. He drew much criticism for mentioning that he was endorsed by the Awami League in the election posters.
Party’s Co-Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmood, who has become the deputy leader of the opposition, was re-elected from Chittagong-5.
The other JaPa MPs are Presidium members Masud Uddin Chowdhury (Feni-3), Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Thakurgaon-3), Golam Kibria (Barisal-3), AKM Salim Osman (Narayanganj-5), AKM Mostafizur Rahman (Kurigram-1), and Shariful Islam (Bogra-2).
On the other hand, 15 JaPa candidates lost the election race though the ruling party withdrew their candidates in those constituencies. All but one JaPa candidate lost to independent candidates, who are also Awami League leaders.
The JaPa candidates are Rana Mohammad Sohel in Nilphamari-3, Ashan Adilur Rahman in Nilphamari-4, Hossain Maqbul Shahriar in Rangpur-1, Panir Uddin Ahmed in Kurigram-2, Shamim Haider Patwari in Gaibandha-1, Md Abdur Rashid Sarkar in Gaibandha-2, Md Nurul Islam Talukder in Bogra-3, Md Mashrekul Ajam (Robi) in Pirojpur-3, Salah Uddin Ahmed (Mukti) in Mymensingh-5, Fakhrul Imam in Mymensingh-8, Md Zahirul Alam Rubel in Manikganj-1, Sherifa Quader in Dhaka-18, Md Abdul Munim Chowdhury in Habiganj-1, Md Abdul Hamid in Brahmanbaria-2, and Md Solaiman Alam Sheth in Chittagong-8.
