Dhaka, Dec 30 (bdnews24.com)—In a landslide reminiscent of the historic 1970 victory that led to the war and birth of Bangladesh , the Awami League on Monday night was headed for a majority that would give the party the power to rewrite the constitution and bring about promised reforms.
With seats called so far and results from other constituencies, the party that led the country's independence war was poised to win over 250 seats, according to bdnews24.com correspondents and TV stations.
The AL and allies have so far won 191 seats, while BNP and allies have managed just 22, according to results obtained from election officials at various levels till 2am.
A second Sheikh Hasina-led government in seven and a half years became a certainty as the AL-led alliance secured more than 152 in results available from just 171 seats at around 1am Tuesday morning—exactly nine hours after voting closed.
Hasina won all three seats she ran for, Gopalganj-3, Bagerhat-2 and Rangpur-6, while AL leaders Obaidul Kader bagged Noakhali-5 from BNP's Moudud Ahmed, AK Khandaker won Pabna-2 and Dipu Moni Chandpur-3.
Her bitter rival two-term former prime minister Khaleda Zia won her three seats -- Feni-1, Bogra-6 and 7.
Jatiya Party chief HM Ershad also won his seats, Rangpur-3, Dhaka-17 and Kurigram-2.
Hasanul Haq Inu of JSD, who ran as a grand alliance nominee with AL's logo boat as his symbol, became MP for the first time, winning Kushtia-2.
AL's Abul Maal Abdul Muhit beat former BNP finance minister M Saifur Rahman, who probably ran his last election, in Sylhet-1 constituency, which has always been a ruling party seat since 1971.
Grand alliance candidates also took Dhaka-20, Kushtia-1, 2 and 3, Rajshahi-2 and 3, Naogaon-5 and 6, Jhalakathi-2, Comilla-1 and Jhenadiah-3, Sylhet 4, Jessore-1, 4, 6, Bagerhat-1, Pabna-2, Panchagarh-2, Dinajpur-1,2,3, Noakhali-5 and Dhaka-19, Faridpur-1,2,3, 4, among others.
The BNP-led four-party alliance won all three Feni seats.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammed Mojaheed came third in Faridpur-3 after AL and a rogue BNP independent.
Grand alliance candidates also ran away with Dhaka-20, Kushtia-1, 2 and 3, Rajshahi-2 and 3, Naogaon-5 and 6, Jhalakathi-2, Comilla-1 and Jhenadiah-3, Sylhet 4, Jessore-1, 4, 6, Bagerhat-1, Pabna-2, Panchagarh-2, Dinajpur-1,2,3, Noakhali-5 and Dhaka-19, Faridpur-1, 2, 3, 4, Nilphamari-1,2,3,4, and Satkhira 1-2.
A number of heavyweights lost their long-held seats, with such stalwarts as former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Jamaat's Motiur Rahman Nizami, JP's Roushan Ershad and Speaker Jamiruddin Sircar leading the list.
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