By Xinhua,
Dhaka : As the 9th Parliamentary election of Bangladesh is being held on Monday, the two major parties — Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia and Awami League led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina are both hopeful of wining the election.
Following is the profile of BNP.
BNP is the immediate past ruling political party of Bangladesh. It was founded on Sept. 1, 1978 by former President General Ziaur Rahman. The party has ruled the country in four separate terms. The party’s current chairperson is General Ziaur’s widow, Khaleda Zia, an immediate past Prime Minister of Bangladesh. In 2001 elections the BNP and its allies got 193 of the 300 seats in Parliament.
President Ziaur Rahman served his tenure from 1977 to 1981. After Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in May 1981, his vice-president Justice Abdus Sattar became acting president and was elected president as the candidate of BNP in November 1981. But in March 1982 Sattar was ousted by Hussain Mohammad Ershad in a coup.
Later Khaleda Zia became the chairperson of BNP and led oust-Ershad movement for nearly nine years. Ershad had to step down on Dec. 6, 1990.
BNP won 1991 Parliamentary election. Khaleda became the first woman Prime Minister of the country.
BNP lost 1996 election and become the main opposition in Parliament.
BNP won the 2001 Parliamentary election and Khaleda became prime minister for the second time.