June 1996 Bangladeshi general election

← February 1996 12 June 1996 2001 →
300 of the 330 seats in theJatiya Sangsad 151 seats needed for a majority
Registered	56,716,935
Turnout	75.60% ( 54.63pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Sheikh Hasina Khaleda Zia H.M. Ershad Party AL BNP JP(E) Last election Boycotted 278 seats Boycotted Seats won 146 116 32 Seat change 146 162 32 Popular vote 15,882,792 14,255,986 6,954,981 Percentage 37.44% 33.63% 16.40%
Results by constituency
Chief Adviser before election Muhammad Habibur Rahman Independent(caretaker) Prime Minister after election Sheikh Hasina AL

Snap general elections were held inBangladesh on 12 June 1996. They were called following the controversialFebruary 1996 elections, which were boycotted by the opposition and saw a turnout of just 21%.

The result of the snap elections was a victory for theBangladesh Awami League, which won 146 of the 300 directly elected seats, resulting in its leaderSheikh Hasina becomingPrime Minister. It was the first election victory for the Awami League since1973 and the party's removal from power in a1975 coup. Voter turnout was 76%, the highest to date.^[1]

The June 1996 elections were the second general elections to be held within a four-month period. Previously in February, ageneral election had been held which was boycotted by an alliance of all major opposition parties (Awami League,Jamaat-e-Islam,Jatiya Party). The opposition were demanding the installation of a neutralcaretaker government to oversee the election, citing a 1994 by-election (which they alleged to have been rigged) as evidence of the BNP's inability to hold a free and fair election. Despite the boycott the February election went ahead and the incumbent Prime MinisterKhaleda Zia's BNP was re-elected for the second term in a landslide victory, with the majority of seats uncontested. The voting was denounced as unfair by the three main opposition parties and the voter turnout was the lowest in Bangladesh's parliamentary electoral history at only 21%.

Following the electionsPresident Abdur Rahman Biswas invited Zia to form a government, but this administration was short-lived, lasting only 12 days.^[2] A series ofhartals (strikes) were called by the other parties and an indefinite non-cooperation movement was called until demands for a new, free election was met. On 25 March 1996, following escalating political turmoil, the sitting Parliament enacted the thirteenth constitutional amendment to allow a neutralcaretaker government to assume power and conduct new parliamentary elections. On 30 March, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia resigned, and the Parliament was dissolved. That same day, President appointed former Chief JusticeMuhammad Habibur Rahman asChief Advisor (a position equivalent to prime minister) in the interim government. A new election was scheduled for 12 June 1996.

In 1996 the 330 members of theJatiya Sangsad consisted of 300 directly elected seats usingfirst-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies,^[3] and an additional 30 seats reserved for women. The reserved seats are distributed based on the election results.^[4] Each parliament sits for a five-year term.

During the election campaign there was anattempted coup d'état by the military.^[5] On 12 May PresidentAbdur Rahman Biswas fired Lieutenant GeneralAbu Saleh Mohammad Nasim, Chief of the Staff of the Army, due to his refusal to carry out a presidential order to retire two of his generals who were alleged to be consorting with political parties in violation of military rules. Nasim revolted against the president and organised troops loyal to him. Consequently, Biswas dismissed Nasim and appointed a new chief of staff. Troops loyal to the President were mobilised to protect government institutions in the capital and Nasim was arrested by military police and the attempted coup d'état failed.

A total of 2,574 candidates contested the elections. TheAwami League,Bangladesh Nationalist Party andJamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh all put forward full slates of 300 candidates. TheJatiya Party ran 293 candidates,Islami Oikkya Jote 166 andJatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) 67, with other minor parties nominating a combined 864 candidates. 284 candidates ran as independents.^[6]

The elections were won by theBangladesh Awami League, who were just shy of a majority, winning 146 of the 300 directly elected seats. The election was close in terms of popular vote share between Awami League and BNP, with a difference of less than 4%. However, as a result offirst-past-the-post voting, the Awami League secured a 30-seat lead over the BNP. The elections saw a high voter turnout of 76%.

With the support ofJatiya Party,^[7] the leader ofAwami League,Sheikh Hasina, was invited to form a government on 23 June, beginning her first term asPrime Minister. The first sitting of the seventh parliament of Bangladesh was subsequently held on 14 July 1996.^[2]

Of the 300 directly elected seats, only eight were won by female candidates.^[8][9] An additional 30 seats were reserved in theJatiya Sangsad for women, of which 27 were awarded to Awami League and rest to Jatiya Party.^[8][9]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				General	Women	Total	+/–
	Awami League	15,882,792	37.44	146	27	173	New
	Bangladesh Nationalist Party	14,255,986	33.61	116	0	116	–192
	Jatiya Party	6,954,981	16.40	32	3	35	New
	Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami	3,653,013	8.61	3	0	3	New
	Islami Oikya Jote	461,517	1.09	1	0	1	New
	Zaker Party	167,597	0.40	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab)	97,916	0.23	1	0	1	New
	Workers Party of Bangladesh	56,404	0.13	0	0	0	New
	Gano Forum	54,250	0.13	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Inu)	50,944	0.12	0	0	0	New
	Communist Party of Bangladesh	48,549	0.11	0	0	0	New
	Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh	45,585	0.11	0	0	0	New
	Sammilita Sangram Parishad	40,803	0.10	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Freedom Party	38,974	0.09	0	0	0	–1
	Samridhya Bangladesh Andolon	27,083	0.06	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Islami Front	23,696	0.06	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan	18,397	0.04	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Jatiyabadi Awami League	11,190	0.03	0	0	0	New
	Islami Shasontontro Andolon	11,159	0.03	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Khalekuzzaman)	10,234	0.02	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Mahbub)	6,791	0.02	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP Bashani)	5,948	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Muslim League (Jamir Ali)	4,580	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Ganatantri Party	4,114	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP)	3,620	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Democratic Republican Party	3,605	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Janata Party	3,364	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Janata Party (Nurul Islam)	2,986	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Janata Party (Sheikh Asad)	2,395	0.01	0	0	0	New
	Social Democratic Party	1,938	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Gano Azadi League	1,683	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Progotisil Jatiata Badi Dal	1,515	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Hak Kathar Mancha	1,340	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (Marxist-Leninist)	1,148	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Sramik Krishak Samajbadi Dal	964	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Communist Kendra	888	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Biplobi Front	631	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Saat Dalya Jote (Mirpur)	602	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Hindu League	570	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Peoples Party	558	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Bekar Samaj	548	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Tafsil Jati Federation (S.K. Mandal)	537	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Desh Prem Party	532	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Ganotantrik Sarbahara Party	502	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Jatiya League (Sobhan)	418	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Jana Dal	395	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Mahiuddin)	393	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Seba Dal	365	0.00	0	0	0	New
	National Democratic Party	353	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Krisak Sramik Janata Party	294	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Islami Al Zihad Dal	288	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Sarbahara Party	248	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Jatiya Daridra Party	244	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Sramajibi Oikya Forum	229	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Islamic Dal Bangladesh (Saifur)	221	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh People's League	213	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Samajtantrik Samsad (Darshan Shava)	209	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Mukti Andolon	189	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Gano Oikkya Front (Guff)	186	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Mehanati Front	173	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Tafsili Federation (Sudir)	150	0.00	0	0	0	New
	People's Muslim League	140	0.00	0	0	0	New
	National Awami Party (NAP Bhashani)	138	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Quran Dorshion Sangshta Bangladesh	137	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Progatishil Gonotantrik Shakti	134	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Islami Party	132	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Jatiya Agragati Party	131	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Oikya Prokria	112	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Bashani Adarsha Bastabayan Parishad	107	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Bastuhara Parishad	105	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh National Congress	99	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Quran Sunna Bastabayan Party	82	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Tanjimul Muslimin	81	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Samridhya Bangladesh Babosai Samproday	48	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bashani Front	45	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Krishak Raj Islami Party	33	0.00	0	0	0	New
	National Patriotic Party	31	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Islami Biplobi Parishad	29	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Taherikay Olama-e-Bangladesh	29	0.00	0	0	0	New
	United Peoples' Party	26	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Bangladesh Manabodjikar Dal	20	0.00	0	0	0	New
	Independents	449,618	1.06	1	0	1	–9
Total		42,418,274	100.00	300	30	330	0
Valid votes		42,418,274	98.92
Invalid/blank votes		462,302	1.08
Total votes		42,880,576	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		56,716,935	75.60
Source:ECB,Kumar Panday

After the election the BNP rejected the results, alleging large-scale rigging. Party secretaryAbdus Salam Talukder demanded re-elections in 111 constituencies. Senior BNP leaderA. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury described the polls as "unprecedentedly rigged" and "pre-planned and conspiratorial." Party chair Khaleda Zia later stated that the BNP neither accepted nor boycotted the results but claimed that various obstacles had prevented the people's mandate from being reflected. However, international election observer groups—including theNational Democratic Institute of the United States, theEuropean Union,South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation observers and a Japanese delegation—stated that the elections were free, fair and transparent, with no substantial evidence of rigging presented.Chief Election CommissionerMohammad Abu Hena reported a 73% voter turnout and asserted that the election process had no scope for manipulation. Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as Prime Minister on 23 June 1996 with the support of the Jatiya Party. Though initially hesitant, the BNP eventually decided to join the Parliament.^[10]

Hasina's administration completed its full five-year term, the first parliamentary administration to ever do so, and the next elections were held inOctober 2001.^[11]

• 1996 elections in Bangladesh
• General elections in Bangladesh
• 1996 elections in Asia
• June 1996 in Bangladesh

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