General elections were held in newly independent Bangladesh on 7 March 1973. A total of 1,078 candidates and 14 political parties contested the elections.
Though the Awami League was already the clear favourite before the elections, the government led by its leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made a major effort to winning every seat. This led to an unnecessarily rigged election in which the Awami League won 293 of the 300 directly elected seats including eleven constituencies where they were elected unopposed without a vote.[1][2] Voter turnout was 55%.[3]
In its election manifesto, the Awami League focused on four principles, nationalism, democracy, socialism and secularism. The pro-Soviet National Awami Party (Muzaffar) and Communist Party of Bangladesh highlighted concerns regarding corruption, political repression and the deterioration of law and order. Due to their alignment with the Awami League on fundamental policy matters, they were often considered the "B team" of the Awami League. The pro-Chinese National Awami Party (Bhashani) and Jatiya League concentrated on Indo-Bangladesh relations, leveraging the growing anti-India sentiment in the country. The campaign of the leftist Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) centred around the theme of scientific socialism. During the campaign, which was marred by violence and allegations of voter intimidation, the parties accused each other of being foreign agents involved in conspiracies against the country's interests.[4][6]
Among the competing parties, only the Awami League was able to field 300 candidates, covering all elected seats. This was followed by 237 candidates from the JSD, 224 from NAP-M, 169 from NAP-B and the remainder from other parties, as well as 120 independent candidates.[6]
Conduct
Prior to the elections, some opposition candidates in marginal constituencies were kidnapped by Awami League supporters before they were able to submit their nomination papers. In some constituencies where opposition candidates were leading in the vote count, counting was abruptly stopped, ballot boxes were stuffed with fake papers and the Awami League candidates were declared winners amid the strong presence of Awami League volunteers.[7]
It was generally believed that the Awami League, with the appeal of Sheikh Mujib and its instrumental role in the independence of Bangladesh, would have easily won the elections without manipulation.[7] However, the overwhelming margin of Awami League's victory was unexpected.[4]
All 300 members of the parliament were men, and 15 additional seats were reserved for women. These women members were not directly elected; instead, they were chosen by the parliament and affiliated with the Awami League. Of the parliament members, 32% were lawyers, 20% were in business, 13% were agriculturalists, 12% were social workers and trade unionists, 9% were doctors, 6% were teachers, 6% were journalists, 1% were engineers, and 1% were students.[6]
Aftermath
The election results demoralized the opposition parties. Afterward, the National Awami Party (Muzaffar) and the Communist Party of Bangladesh went back to seek an alliance with the Awami League and formed a unified front called Gono Oikya Jote. The National Awami Party (Bhashani) tried and failed to launch a mass movement against the Awami League. However, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal proved to be a strong force against the regime. Various left-wing factions also continued to oppose the government.[4]
The popularity of Mujib, which played a crucial role in the Awami League's victory, led to a significant centralization of power within his inner circle, consisting of close relatives and companions. The Jatiya Sangsad had minimal involvement in policy formation, as Mujib and his associates managed even routine matters.[9] The overwhelming victory of the Awami League was further overshadowed by the implementation of repressive special powers and activities of the Rakkhi Bahini, a group of government-armed vigilantes with judicial immunity. This group targeted anyone who opposed the Awami League or its affiliated parties.[7][10] By the end of 1974 there were approximately 30,000 political prisoners and all criticism of the government in the public media was silenced by law, and a state of emergency was declared. Political assassinations became increasingly common, with around 5,000 reported in the year 1974 according to government estimates. Several prominent opposition leaders, including Siraj Sikder (the founder of the Proletarian Party of East Bengal) and Mosharraf Hossain (the founding vice-president of the JSD), were assassinated.[10][11]
As the political and economic conditions of the country worsened, Mujib's popularity started to erode, and he started to face widespread criticism. In February 1975, Mujib revoked the constitution, assumed dictatorial powers and banned all political parties except for his newly formed party, Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League. Within two years of the first general election, Bangladesh had ceased to be a democratic country.[9][10]
