Snap Elections - Bangladesh

Bangladesh

After Begum Khaleda Zia's BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party five-year term ended in January 1996, the country went to the polls on February 15, 1996 where elections were boycotted by all major opposition parties including BNP'S arch-rival Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. The opposition at that time demanded a neutral caretaker government to oversee the polls, but it was rejected by the incumbent government and the election went on as scheduled. The BNP won by default, grabbing all the 300 seats in the house of parliament and assumed power. The Awami League and its allies did not accept the results and called a month-long general strike and blockades to overthrow the illegitimate BNP government. The general strike was marred by bloody violence including a grenade attack on Awami League's headquarters which killed scores of people. On the other, the Supreme Court annulled the election results which forced the BNP government to amend the constitution in a special parliamentary session by introducing the Caretaker government system as a part of the electoral reform. Eventually the BNP government was toppled, overthrown and ousted when they resigned on March 31, 1996 and handed over power to the caretaker government. The caretaker government would stay in power for 90 days before fresh elections could be held. Finally a snap election was held in June 12, 1996 where Awami-League won a simple majority by beating its bitter rival BNP and would stay in power for the next five years.