Staff Reporter:
Former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia has never been defeated in any election of the country.
She changed constituencies in Bogura, Feni, Lakshmipur, Chattogram, Dhaka and Khulna but the results never changed. Contesting a total of 23 seats in five national elections, she won every single one. Her name on the ballot paper seemed to guarantee of victory.
In Bangladesh’s parliamentary history, no one has been able to match the electoral record of this three-time former Prime Minister. From 1991 to 2008, in five national elections, she never faced any defeat.
In the general elections of 1991, 1996 and 2001, she contested five seats each time and won all of them. In the 2008 election, she contested three seats and emerged victorious in all three constituencies.
Her political rise kept pace with Bangladesh’s democratic awakening. Following the assassination of her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, in 1981, the circumstances propelled Khaleda Zia from out-side the political scene directly onto the ‘highway’ of politics. Before that, she was simply a housewife.
In the 1991 election, she contested from Bogura-7, Dhaka-5, Dhaka-9, Feni-1 and Chattogram-8. After winning all five seats, she retained at Feni-1 and vacated the other four seats.
In the 1996 election, she contested from Bogura-6, Bogura-7, Feni-1, Lakshmipur-2 and Chattogram-1. After winning all five seats, she kept Feni-1 and vacated the rest.
In the 2001 election, she again contested from Bogura-6, Bogura-7, Feni-1, Lakshmipur-2 and Chatto-gram-1. Winning all five seats once more, she ultimately decided to represent from Bogura-6 constituen-cy.
Finally, in the 2008 election, she contested from Bogura-6, Bogura-7 and Feni-1. After winning all three, she chose to retain the Feni-1 seat.
A review of her electoral history showed that she contested most frequently in constituencies of Bogura, Feni, Lakshmipur and Chattogram.
Election results further showed that she not only won but also maintained significant vote margins over her rival candidates.
