The number of elected unopposed lawmakers with ticket from the immediate past ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rose to 17 after withdrawal of candidature by grand alliance headed by former main opposition Awami League on January 3 as it decided to boycott the January 22 election for lack of conducive environment.

The already elected included BNP chairperson and immediate past prime minister Khaleda Zia, her elder son Tarique Zia, Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, head of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key partner of the BNP-led four-party alliance, former finance minister Saifur Rahman, former state minister for home affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar, and former state minister for labor and manpower Amanullah Aman.

Grand alliance chief Sheikh Hasina, who also heads the Awami League announced on January 3 that the alliance will not go to the polls as the caretaker government (CG) failed to show its neutrality and not corrected the voter list, reconstitute the Election Commission (EC).

She said so long President Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed remains chief adviser of CG, her alliance will not join the election as he is BNP man, but the country's constitution specify that a non-party caretaker government will supervise the country's general elections within 90 days after it takes office.

Sheikh Hasina demanded Iajuddin to step down and form a new CG to hold a clean and credible election.

BNP government ended its five-year tenure on October 27 last year, and handed over power to caretaker government headed by President Iajuddin Ahmed on October 29.

Source: Xinhua