Khaleda Zia never lost an election

Khaleda Zia was Bangladesh’s first elected prime minister. Whether contesting elections in Feni, Bogura, Dhaka, Chattogram, Lakshmipur or Khulna, she emerged victorious every time.

In the country’s electoral history, Khaleda Zia remains a unique figure: she contested 23 parliamentary constituencies across five general elections and won in every single one of them.

There is no account of electoral defeat in Khaleda Zia’s political career. Even in elections in which the BNP failed to form the government, she won all the seats from which she contested.

Following the fall of autocrat Hussain Muhammad Ershad in the mass uprising of 1990, the 5th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) election was held on 27 February 1991.

Khaleda Zia contested five constituencies: Bogura-7, Dhaka-5, Dhaka-9, Feni-1 and Chattogram-8. She won in all five seats by large margins.

After the BNP formed the government following the 1991 election, Khaleda Zia became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister. She also became only the second woman in the history of a Muslim-majority country to hold the office of prime minister.

The 7th Jatiya Sangsad election was held in June 1996, in which the Awami League formed the government. Yet even in that election, no one could defeat Khaleda Zia. She contested and won all five seats: Bogura-6, Bogura-7, Feni-1, Lakshmipur-2 and Chattogram-1.

The 8th parliamentary election took place on 1 October 2001. Once again, Khaleda Zia contested five constituencies—Bogura-6, Bogura-7, Khulna-2, Feni-1 and Lakshmipur-2—and won all of them by decisive margins. Following the BNP’s victory in that election, she became prime minister for the third time.

Earlier, in the 6th Jatiya Sangsad election held on 15 February 1996, the BNP had formed the government. In that election, Khaleda Zia contested and won from Feni-1 and Feni-2, Bogura-7, Sirajganj-2 and Rajshahi-2.

She thus became prime minister for a second consecutive term. However, that one-sided election sparked widespread controversy. Although the bill introducing a non-party caretaker government was passed in that parliament, Khaleda Zia resigned just 11 days after taking the oath of office, and the parliament was subsequently dissolved.

In 2008, after the election commission limited candidates to contesting a maximum of three constituencies, Khaleda Zia ran from Bogura-6, Bogura-7 and Feni-1. She won all three seats.

Political scientist Dil Rowshan Jinnat Ara Nazneen, professor at the University of Dhaka and pro-vice-chancellor (academic) of Bangladesh Open University, told Prothom Alo that Khaleda Zia was an immensely popular figure.

“Because of her uncompromising stance, she was admired across party lines,” she said. “In the 1991 election, almost everyone assumed that the Awami League would come to power. But a televised address by Khaleda Zia at that time overturned all political calculations.”

She added that Khaleda Zia contested multiple constituencies in subsequent national elections and, owing to her overwhelming popularity, won every seat each time.

According to Dil Rowshan Jinnat Ara Nazneen, Khaleda Zia never spoke intemperately; through her dignified conduct and measured words, she exerted a strong influence on electoral politics.