Parties in parliament second lowest since 1991
The number of political parties in parliament since the restoration of democracy in 1991 seems to be shrinking.
Only five political parties have representation in this 12th parliament, down from the 12 parties in the sixth parliament formed after the 1991 polls and even four from the previous parliament.
Except for the Jatiya Sangsad formed though the controversial election of February 1996, which lasted only 12 days, this parliament has the lowest number of political parties.
After the February 1996 election, members of two parties -- the BNP and the Freedom Party -- were elected to parliament -- the lowest since 1973 when the first general election was held after independence.
After the 1973 election, three political parties had representation in the first parliament. After the 1988 election, four parties made up the Jatiya Sangsad, and following the 2001 election, six parties made up the House.
Prof Nizam Ahmed, parliamentary affairs expert and former teacher of the public administration department at Chittagong University, told The Daily Star yesterday that the representation of only a few parties in parliament is not a good sign for democracy.
"The 12th parliament shows how the political parties' representation in the Jatiya Sangsad is ever shrinking," he said.
Nizam said that the 12th parliamentary election was essentially Awami League versus Awami League-backed independents, with some seats compromised for the Jatiya Party.
"As a result, the parliament will lack a genuine opposition. This seriously undermines democracy."
According to the results of the January 7 election, out of 299 seats, the ruling Awami League won 223, Jatiya Party 11, Bangladesh Workers Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Bangladesh Kalyan Party one each, and independent candidates 62 seats.
AL sources said that of the 62 independents, at least 58 were ruling party leaders.
They also said that although the AL took several steps, including asking its grassroots to support some aspirants from other parties, to ensure that the next parliament has representatives from more political parties, the strategy did not seem to have worked.
Some chosen aspirants from Trinamool BNP, Kalyan Party, Jatiya Party, and Jatiya Party (Manju) and several former BNP leaders were supposed to get a free ride to parliament, said sources, adding that these candidates otherwise had no chance of becoming MPs.
After the 11th parliamentary election, held in 2018, nine parties were in parliament, while seven parties came to the Jatiya Sangsad through the 10th parliamentary election, held in 2014.
Eight parties were in parliament after the 2008 and 2001 elections. And after the June 1996 election, six parties were in the House, while 12 parties came to Jatiya Sangsad through the election in 1991.