1971 East Pakistan by-elections

none February 2026 East Pakistan By-election Pakistan By-election no 29,479,386 Pakistani General Election, 1970 1970 Pakistani General Election, 1977 1977 78 seats of the National Assembly and 105 seats of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly 7 December 1971 – 7 January 1972 Uncontested National Seats Uncontested Provincial Seats Umbrella election symbol.svg Six-Party United Front 53 102 Sword election symbol.svg Pakistan Peoples Party 5 1 Prime Minister and Chief Minister Position vacant Military Rule New Prime Minister Nurul Amin Military Rule Following the victory in the 1970 general elections, the failure to transfer power led to a non-cooperation movement called by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Awami League based in East Pakistan. In response, on 25 March 1971, the Pakistani government launched Operation Searchlight, intensifying the political crisis. The following day, all political activities in Pakistan were banned, and the Awami League was declared illegal. During the Bangladesh Liberation War, President Yahya Khan annulled the membership of 78 elected representatives of the National Assembly and 105 members of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly. He then announced by-elections in East Pakistan. The election saw participation from a six-party right-wing alliance led by Nurul Amin and the Islamic socialist Pakistan Peoples Party led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Before the election, 53 national and 102 provincial seats from the alliance, along with 5 national and 1 provincial seat from the Pakistan Peoples Party, were elected unopposed. However, due to the ongoing war, the scheduled voting from 7 December 1971 to 7 January 1972 was postponed. On 16 December 1971, with the surrender of the Pakistan Army to the Allied Forces in Dhaka, East Pakistan gained independence as Bangladesh. Subsequently, on 23 December 1971, Pakistan's new President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto officially canceled the by-election. Background Previous election and independence movement thumb|Map of 1970 general election results In the 1970 general election, the All Pakistan Awami League, based in East Pakistan, won 167 of the 313 National Assembly seats, including reserved seats,নির্বাচন সিরাজুল ইসলাম and secured 288 out of 300 seats in the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly.Craig Baxter (1971) "Pakistan Votes – 1970 Asian Survey, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp197–218 On 25 March 1971, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Searchlight, leading to mass killings in Dhaka.অসহযোগ আন্দোলন ১৯৭১ আবু মো. দেলোয়ার হোসেন The following day, the Awami League was banned, and political activities were declared illegal.27 March 1991 President Yahya's Broadcast To Nations: AWAMI LEAGUE COMPLETELY BANNED AS POLITICAL PARTY ডেইলি বিজনেস পোস্ট Preparation for the by-election thumb|After declaring the elected members of the All Pakistan Awami League illegal, President Yahya Khan announced a by-election in East Pakistan. On 28 June 1971, President Yahya Khan dismissed the possibility of new elections and instead announced by-elections for the National and Provincial Assemblies.President's announcement on power transfer plan 1 29 June 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 29 July, reliable government sources revealed that President Yahya Khan had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to organize a by-election for the vacant seats after declaring the seats of members accused of anti-state crimes illegal.https://1971.prothomalo.com/diary-1971/%E0%A6%87%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%B7%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0 New conspiracy of Yahya and Bhutto 29 July 2021 Prothom Alo On 4 August 1971, Yahya Khan stated that after declaring the seats of members guilty of various crimes and treason vacant, by-elections would be held, and power would be transferred within 3–4 months.Power transfer within the next three to four months 1 5 August 1971 Daily Ittefaq In August 1971, a plan was revealed to hold by-elections for the seats of disqualified Awami League members while validating the membership of 88 National Assembly members and 94 Provincial Assembly members of the party.https://bonikbarta.com/bangladesh/XN7vXXPxrOsjgGua Yahya Khan validated 88 Awami League MPs during the Liberation War Anika Mahjabin 14 December 2024 Bonik Barta On 27 August 1971, the Pakistani government announced that Awami League's elected National and Provincial Assembly members who had fled to India would not be considered criminals and their membership would remain valid.Crossing the border by valid National and Provincial Assembly members will not be considered a crime 1 28 August 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 4 September 1971, President Yahya Khan amended the Legal Framework Order, 1970 to mandate that elections for any National and Provincial Assembly seats that became vacant before 4 September must be held within four months.Provision for filling vacant National and Provincial Assembly seats 1 5 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 19 September 1971, it was announced that the by-election would be held from 25 November to 9 December.https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/20/archives/new-elections-set-for-east-pakistan.html NEW ELECTIONS SET FOR EAST PAKISTAN 20 September 1971 The New York Times However, the date was later changed to 12 December to 23 December considering the opinions of all political parties.By-election date postponed 1 22 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq Later, the election date was moved forward to 7 to 20 December 1971.By-elections postponed https://gpa.eastview.com/crl/san/newspapers/paob19711207-01.1.1 The Pakistan Observer 7 December 1971 1 On 3 October 1971, the government announced that the second phase of the by-election for the 88 vacant Provincial Assembly seats would take place from 18 December 1971 to 7 January 1972.Voting for the remaining 88 seats of the Provincial Assembly from 18 December to 7 January 1 4 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 9 October 1971, President Yahya Khan lifted the ban on political activities.Ban on political activities lifted 1 10 October 1971 Daily Sangram Campaign and politics Six-Party United Front Although an attempt was made to form a six-party alliance in the 1970 general election, it was not implemented. The proposal to form such an alliance was raised again during the by-election.What is the status of the United Front? 6 23 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 9 August 1971, leaders including Abdul Qayyum Khan, head of the Qayyum Muslim League, Khan A Sabur, and their party chief Nurul Amin met with Fazlul Qadir Chaudhry and Malik Mohammad Qasim of the Convention Muslim League. They were approached by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, leader of the Pakistan Democratic Party, who was considering forming an alliance similar to the National Democratic Front.Nawabzada's initiative to form a like-minded alliance 1, 6 10 August 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 24 September, Nurul Amin stated that the nature of the election campaign would depend on the changing conditions in East Pakistan.Election campaign strategy depends on how much normalcy returns 1 25 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 26 September 1971, the Krishak Sramik Party requested to postpone the by-election date by one month to allow more time for preparation.Call to postpone the by-election by one month 6 27 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 10 October, it was reported that the parties in the Six-Party United Front had agreed not to compete against each other in the same constituency to ensure victory.Meeting could not be held 6 11 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 19 October 1971, it was revealed that under the Six-Party United Front, the Pakistan Democratic Party would field candidates for 23 National Assembly seats, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan for 19, Council Muslim League, Convention Muslim League, and Qayyum Muslim League for 9 each, and the Nizam-e-Islam Party for 6 seats. For the Provincial Assembly, the Pakistan Democratic Party planned to contest 50 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami 45, Council Muslim League 25, Convention Muslim League 23, Qayyum Muslim League 23, and Nizam-e-Islam Party 21.Six-party alliance to announce candidate list within a day or two 6 20 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 26 October 1971, the Six-Party United Front released the names of its candidates for all vacant National Assembly seats in the by-election.Six-party alliance's joint candidate list 1 27 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 27 October 1971, the alliance published a list of 177 candidates for the Provincial Assembly by-election.Provincial by-election: Six-party alliance's joint candidate list 1 28 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 19 November 1971, Nurul Amin stated that it would not be possible to determine who would form the government until the by-election was completed and the stance of the banned All-Pakistan Awami League's elected members was clarified.Everything will be clear after the by-election 1 20 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq Pakistan Peoples Party thumb|Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, leader of the Islamic socialist party Pakistan Peoples Party, announced his party's participation in the by-election. On 22 September 1971, during a press conference in Karachi, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto confirmed that his party would participate in the by-election.PPP will participate in the upcoming by-election 1 23 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq He urged for the transfer of power through the by-election and warned that failure to do so could result in his party taking control of Pakistan through armed revolution.https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/23/archives/bhutto-demands-elections-in-1971-west-pakistani-party-chief-hints.html BHUTTO DEMANDS ELECTIONS IN 1971 en 23 September 1971 The New York Times 23 March 2025 23 March 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250323004143/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/23/archives/bhutto-demands-elections-in-1971-west-pakistani-party-chief-hints.html live On 24 September, during a central committee meeting in Quetta, Balochistan, the PPP formed a nine-member delegation committee to oversee the election campaign.PPP forms a committee for touring East Pakistan 6 25 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 10 October 1971, PPP Secretary-General Mian Mahmud Ali Kasuri stated that the party would invite elected politicians from the banned All Pakistan Awami League to join PPP or offer them support in the by-election.Political parties 6 11 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 12 October, PPP Information Secretary Kausar Niazi announced that 52 candidates had applied to contest the by-election for the National Assembly under the PPP banner.Kausar Niazi's confidence has strengthened 6 13 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq Later, the PPP officially announced its intention to contest 8–10 seats in the National Assembly by-election. On 26 October, Mian Mahmud Ali Kasuri called for applications for the Provincial Assembly by-election nominations to be submitted to him at Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka by 30 October.By-election: Mian Kasuri invites applications 6 27 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq Others On 22 August, Khaja Nazir Ahmed, Secretary-General of the Progressive Peoples Party’s Karachi branch, stated that due to pressure from party workers, the party would send a delegation to East Pakistan to assess the feasibility of participating in the by-election.Progressive PPP to participate in the by-election 1, 6 23 August 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 30 August, Asghar Khan, leader of Tehreek-e-Istiqlal, demanded that the by-election be held within seven days as part of his five-point demand.Asghar Khan's five demands 6 31 August 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 30 September, as the head of the Ganotantric Oikko Andolon (Democratic Unity Movement), Asghar Khan stated that his party would consider participating in the by-election if the general amnesty was expanded to cover more of the previously elected candidates and if the government accepted his five-point formula.Asghar Khan's views on national problems and solutions 1 1 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 17 October, Zahiruddin of the banned All Pakistan Awami League stated that since his party was outlawed, there was no question of its participation in the by-election. However, he mentioned that individual members could contest as independent candidates. Additionally, he confirmed that none of the party members had expressed interest in forming a new party or joining another political group.Will remain as an independent group in the National Assembly 6 18 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On the same day, it was reported that Bhashani's National Awami Party would not participate in the by-election. However, the party allowed its members to run as independent candidates.Bhashani NAP will not participate in the by-election 1 18 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 24 November 1971, A.B.M. Nurul Islam, a member of the banned All Pakistan Awami League, met with President Yahya Khan in Islamabad and requested the lifting of the ban on his party.Meeting with the President 8 25 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 26 November, the Pakistani government banned the National Awami Party (Wali), although its elected representatives in West Pakistan were not declared illegal.https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/27/archives/pakistans-president-bans-a-small-political-party-in-move-aimed-at.html Pakistan's President Bans a Small Political Party in Move Aimed at Crushing a Source of Opposition en 27 November 1971 The New York Times 23 March 2025 14 May 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230514071127/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/27/archives/pakistans-president-bans-a-small-political-party-in-move-aimed-at.html live On 27 November, ABM Nurul Islam of the banned All Pakistan Awami League stated that he believed his party's elected members of the National and Provincial Assemblies would remain independent and not join any other party. He also mentioned that after the implementation of a new constitution, they would unite and select a new leader for themselves.Members of the banned Awami League will not join any party 6 28 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq Nominations and results On 28 September 1971, an amendment to the Legal Framework Order, 1970 was introduced, allowing members of the national and provincial cabinets to contest elections without resigning from their positions.Ministers will retain their membership in the National and Provincial Assemblies and can also contest elections 1 29 September 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 10 November 1971, President Yahya Khan issued the "National and Provincial Assemblies (Elections) (Amendment) Ordinance." According to this ordinance, any candidate could withdraw their candidacy up to four days before the election.New election ordinance allows candidates to withdraw from contest 1 13 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq As in the previous elections, political parties retained their existing election symbols for this by-election.Election symbols 6 17 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq Initially, 29 September 1971 was set as the deadline for submitting nomination papers. National Assembly seats On 9 October, the deadline for submitting nomination papers for the National Assembly by-election was set for 20 October.Nomination submission schedule for the by-election 6 10 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq By 21 October, a total of 192 candidates had submitted nomination papers for 75 out of 78 seats in the National Assembly.192 candidates for 75 National Assembly seats 1 22 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 22 October, 15 candidates were elected unopposed to the National Assembly.15 candidates elected unopposed to the National Assembly 1 23 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 23 October, another 3 candidates were elected unopposed.Three more candidates elected unopposed to the National Assembly 1 24 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq By 28 October, according to a provisional government announcement, a total of 31 candidates had been elected unopposed in the National Assembly by-election.31 candidates elected unopposed in the National Assembly by-election so far 1 29 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 29 October, another 19 candidates were declared elected unopposed, leaving the results of 5 seats still unknown at that time.50 candidates elected unopposed as of yesterday 1 30 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 30 October, 2 more candidates were declared elected unopposed, bringing the total to 52.52 candidates elected unopposed in the National Assembly so far 1 31 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq Meanwhile, independent National Assembly candidate M. A. Wahab from Jessore joined the Qayyum Muslim League.M. A. Wahab joins Qayyum Muslim League 6 31 October 1971 Daily Ittefaq The Six-Party United Front revised its candidate list, replacing Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury with Syed Khwaja Khairuddin for NE-30 Rajshahi-1.Six-Party United Front revises National Assembly candidate list 6 1 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq Additionally, Ali Amjad Khan withdrew his nomination from NE-32 Comilla-2.Withdrawal of nomination papers 1 1 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq By 2 November, reports indicated that candidates in 55 out of 78 National Assembly seats in East Pakistan had been elected unopposed.55 candidates elected unopposed in National Assembly; 23 seats to be contested 1 3 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq On 9 November, it was reported that a total of 58 candidates, including 6 more in the National Assembly, had been elected unopposed. Among them, 53 belonged to the Six-Party United Front, while 5 were from the Pakistan Peoples Party.Six more candidates elected unopposed in National Assembly 6 10 November 1971 Daily Ittefaq National Assembly candidates elected unopposed March 2025 Between 22 October and 9 November, the Election Commission announced the names of the candidates elected unopposed to the National Assembly:Documents of the Bangladesh Liberation War Seventh Volume 190–201 Hasan Hafizur Rahman 2009 1982 Hakkani Publishers Constituency Party Member NE-2 (Rangpur-2) Pakistan Peoples Party Syed Kamal Hossain Rizvi NE-9 (Rangpur-9) Pakistan Peoples Party Raisuddin Ahmed NE-10 (Rangpur-10) Qayyum Muslim League Saidur Rahman NE-11 (Rangpur-11) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Zabanuddin Ahmed NE-14 (Dinajpur-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Tamizuddin NE-15 (Dinajpur-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdullah Al Kafi NE-17 (Dinajpur-5) Pakistan Peoples Party Kamruzzaman NE-19 (Bogra-1) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abbas Ali Khan NE-20 (Bogra-2) Pakistan Democratic Party Masihul Islam NE-26 (Pabna-3) Convention Muslim League M. A. Matin NE-28 (Pabna-5) Qayyum Muslim League Syed Asgar Hossain Jaidi NE-29 (Pabna-6) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdus Subhan NE-32 (Rajshahi-3) Qayyum Muslim League Jasimuddin Ahmed NE-33 (Rajshahi-4) Pakistan Democratic Party Mumtaz Uddin Ahmed NE-35 (Rajshahi-6) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Afazuddin Ahmed NE-36 (Rajshahi-7) Council Muslim League Abdus Sattar Khan Chowdhury NE-39 (Kushtia-1) Qayyum Muslim League Afil Uddin NE-40 (Kushtia-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Sad Ahmed NE-41 (Kushtia-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Matin NE-42 (Kushtia-4) Council Muslim League Azmat Ali NE-43 (Jessore-1) Pakistan Democratic Party M. A. Rashid NE-44 (Jessore-2) Council Muslim League Syed Shamsur Rahman NE-45 (Jessore-3) Qayyum Muslim League Abdul Wahab NE-46 (Jessore-4) Nezame Islam Party Khaja Mohammad Shah NE-51 (Khulna-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan A. K. M. Yusuf NE-53 (Khulna-4) Qayyum Muslim League Khan-e-Sabur NE-58 (Bakerganj-1) Pakistan Democratic Party Syed Azizul Haque NE-60 (Bakerganj-3) Pakistan Peoples Party Shamsuddin Ahmed NE-62 (Bakerganj-5) Convention Muslim League Abdur Rab NE-63 (Bakerganj-6) Nezame Islam Party Shah Matiur Rahman NE-66 (Bakerganj-9) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdur Rahim NE-71 (Tangail-1) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ghulam Azam NE-73 (Tangail-3) Convention Muslim League Abdul Hannan NE-75 (Tangail-5) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan A. Khalek NE-78 (Mymensingh-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan S. M. Yusuf Ali NE88 (Mymensingh-10) Nezame Islam Party Manjurul Haque NE91 (Mymensingh-16) Qayyum Muslim League Mujibur Rahman NE92 (Mymensingh-17) Pakistan Democratic Party Syed Mosleh Uddin NE97 (Faridpur-4) Convention Muslim League Abdur Rahman NE99 (Faridpur-6) Pakistan Democratic Party Anisuzzaman Chowdhury NE107 (Dhaka-4) Pakistan Peoples Party Akram Hossain Khan NE108 (Dhaka-5) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Yusuf Ali NE113 (Dhaka-10) Convention Muslim League Mohammad Shahidullah NE117 (Dhaka-14) Council Muslim League Syed Khwaja Khairuddin NE120 (Sylhet-1) Pakistan Democratic Party Nasiruddin NE121 (Sylhet-2) Nezame Islam Party Syed Kamrul Ahsan NE122 (Sylhet-3) Pakistan Democratic Party Fazlul Haque NE123 (Sylhet-4) Convention Muslim League Haji Habibur Rahman Chowdhury NE127 (Sylhet-8) Independent Politician Mahmud Ali NE131 (Comilla-1) Nezame Islam Party Ashraf Ali NE132 (Comilla-2) Council Muslim League A. Q. M. Shafiqul Islam NE135 (Comilla-5) Independent Politician Sajedul Haque NE143 (Comilla-12) Pakistan Democratic Party Dalilur Rahman NE144 (Comilla-14) Nezame Islam Party Abdul Haque NE146 (Noakhali-2) Pakistan Democratic Party Abdul Jabbar Khaddar NE147 (Noakhali-3) Council Muslim League Saidul Haque NE150 (Noakhali-6) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Md. Shafiqullah NE151 (Noakhali-7) Convention Muslim League Abu Sufian NE153 (Chittagong-1) Pakistan Democratic Party Mohammad Nurullah Provincial seats On October 9, the nomination submission date for the first phase of the provincial council by-elections was announced as October 20, and for the second phase, it was set for November 1. Additionally, it was reported that for the first phase of the provincial by-elections, 310 nomination papers were submitted for 93 seats, excluding 12.Provincial Council: 310 Candidates for 93 Seats 1 October 23, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On October 23, 10 candidates were elected unopposed to the provincial council.Provincial Council: 10 Members, Including the Information Minister, Elected Unopposed 1 October 24, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On October 28, the nomination withdrawal deadline for the provincial by-elections was extended by two days.Provincial Council By-election: Nomination Withdrawal Deadline Extended to October 30 1 October 29, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On October 29, the six-party alliance nominated two candidates for the provincial council, replaced a candidate in the Faridpur-13 seat, and withdrew Mansur Ali from the Dhaka-21 seat due to personal reasons.Two More Candidates Nominated; One Withdrawn 6 October 30, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On October 30, all candidates from PE-36 Kushtia-6 withdrew their nominations. On the same day, 35 candidates were declared elected unopposed in the first phase of the provincial elections.Provincial Council: 35 Candidates Elected Unopposed So Far 1 October 31, 1971 Dainik IttefaqMass Withdrawal! 1 October 31, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On October 31, 11 more candidates were elected unopposed to the provincial council.Provincial Council: 46 Candidates Elected Unopposed So Far 1 November 1, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 1, nomination papers were received for 88 seats in the second phase of the provincial elections.Second Phase By-election: Nomination Submission Ends; Scrutiny Today 1 November 2, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 2, it was reported that elections for 17 provincial council seats would be held in December, while 46 candidates had already been elected unopposed.Provincial Council: 46 Elected in First Phase; 17 Seats Contested; Results of 41 Seats Unknown 1, 6 November 3, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 3, another 30 candidates were declared elected unopposed in the provincial council elections.Provincial By-election: 76 Candidates Elected Unopposed So Far 6 November 4, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 4, five more candidates were elected unopposed to the provincial council.Total 81 Candidates Elected Unopposed So Far 1, 6 November 5, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 8, 10 more candidates were elected unopposed.Provincial By-election: 96 Candidates Elected Unopposed So Far 1 November 9, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 5, five candidates were declared elected unopposed, while the six-party alliance announced six new candidates.Five More Elected Unopposed to the Provincial Council 1, 6 November 6, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 9, it was reported that in the by-elections, a total of 108 candidates, including 12 from provincial seats, were elected unopposed. Among them, 102 were from the six-party alliance, while one was from the Pakistan People's Party.Provincial Council: 12 More Candidates Elected Unopposed 6 November 10, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Unopposedly elected provincial candidates March 2025 From October 23 to November 9, the Election Commission announced the names of the candidates elected unopposed to the National Assembly: Seat Party Member PE5 (Rangpur-5) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Shah Mohammad Ruhul Amin PE7 (Rangpur-7) Independent Politician Abul Hossain Mia PE11 (Rangpur-11) Convention Muslim League Akmal Hossain PE13 (Rangpur-13) Council Muslim League Ahmad Ali Sarkar PE14 (Rangpur-14) Convention Muslim League Panir Uddin Ahmed PE15 (Rangpur-15) Council Muslim League Abul Kasem PE23 (Dinajpur-1) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ismail Haq PE24 (Dinajpur-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Md. Shafiur Rahman PE27 (Dinajpur-5) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Bashir Mia PE28 (Dinajpur-6) Nezam-e-Islam Party Mahbubul Alam PE29 (Dinajpur-7) Nezam-e-Islam Party Ishaq Ali Khan PE30 (Dinajpur-8) Independent Politician Abdul Wadud PE31 (Dinajpur-9) Convention Muslim League Nurul Huda Chowdhury PE33 (Bogra-1) Convention Muslim League Abdul Alim PE42 (Rajshahi-1) Council Muslim League Ertaj Alam PE43 (Rajshahi-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Meem Obaidullah PE44 (Rajshahi-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Md. Taiyeb Ali PE49 (Rajshahi-8) Nezam-e-Islam Party Farajuddin Molla PE51 (Rajshahi-10) Qayyum Muslim League Z. A. M. Yusuf Khan PE52 (Rajshahi-11) Pakistan Democratic Party Abdus Subhan PE53 (Rajshahi-12) Qayyum Muslim League N. A. M. Farooq PE54 (Rajshahi-13) Convention Muslim League Aynuddin PE56 (Rajshahi-15) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Kachuddin PE60 (Pabna-2) Qayyum Muslim League Golam Azam Talukdar PE61 (Pabna-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Korban Ali PE66 (Pabna-8) Council Muslim League Mofazzal Ali PE70 (Pabna-12) Nezam-e-Islam Party Mohammad Ishaq PE71 (Kushtia-1) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Nurul Islam PE72 (Kushtia-2) Qayyum Muslim League Yakub Ali PE73 (Kushtia-3) Independent Politician Mohammad Hanif PE74 (Kushtia-4) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Qayyum PE75 (Kushtia-5) Council Muslim League Khaleduzzaman PE77 (Kushtia-7) Council Muslim League Nawazesh Ahmed PE78 (Jessore-1) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Nurunnabi PE79 (Jessore-2) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abu Nasar Md. Ansar Uddin PE80 (Jessore-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan A. S. M. Mozammel Haque PE82 (Jessore-5) Council Muslim League Tabibur Rahman Khan PE83 (Jessore-6) Qayyum Muslim League Abdur Rashid PE85 (Jessore-8) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Masihul Azam PE88 (Jessore-11) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abul Khair PE89 (Jessore-12) Convention Muslim League Kazi Abdul Latif PE98 (Khulna-8) Qayyum Muslim League Hafizur Rahman PE109 (Patuakhali-5) Convention Muslim League A. M. Sharafuddin PE110 (Patuakhali-6) Qayyum Muslim League Md. Lutfar Rahman PE119 (Bakerganj-8) Pakistan Democratic Party Abdul Aziz Talukdar PE120 (Bakerganj-9) Nezam-e-Islam Party Abdul Matin PE121 (Bakerganj-10) Pakistan Democratic Party A. K. Fazlul Haque Chowdhury PE124 (Bakerganj-13) Qayyum Muslim League Abdul Jalil Khan PE130 (Tangail-1) Council Muslim League Fazlur Rahman Talukdar PE133 (Tangail-4) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Shahidullah Khan Yusufzai PE134 (Tangail-5) Convention Muslim League Hakim Habibur Rahman PE136 (Tangail-6) Pakistan Democratic Party Hafizuddin Ahmad PE140 (Mymensingh-2) Pakistan Democratic Party Nuruzzaman PE144 (Mymensingh-6) Convention Muslim League Shamsul Haque PE147 (Mymensingh-9) Council Muslim League Hasmat Ali PE149 (Mymensingh-11) Pakistan Democratic Party A. F. M. Nazmul Huda PE158 (Mymensingh-20) Nezam-e-Islam Party Ali Osman PE167 (Mymensingh-29) Convention Muslim League Lokman Hakim PE175 (Dhaka-8) Pakistan People's Party M. A. Shikdar PE176 (Dhaka-6) Independent Politician Moher Ali Khan PE182 (Dhaka-12) Council Muslim League Sirajuddin PE187 (Dhaka-17) Qayyum Muslim League Asgar Hossain PE191 (Dhaka-21) Pakistan Democratic Party Obaidul Kabir PE192 (Dhaka-22) Qayyum Muslim League Sultan Uddin Khan PE199 (Dhaka-19) Independent Politician Saifur Rahman PE205 (Faridpur-5) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Alauddin Khan PE207 (Faridpur-7) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Syed Mohammad Ali PE210 (Faridpur-10) Qayyum Muslim League A. Q. M. Zainal Abedin PE212 (Faridpur-12) Convention Muslim League Sharafat Hossain PE221 (Sylhet-2) Pakistan Democratic Party Abdul Khaleq PE223 (Sylhet-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Matin PE224 (Sylhet-5) Convention Muslim League Nazmul Hossain Khan PE229 (Sylhet-10) Nezam-e-Islam Party Habibur Rahman PE231 (Sylhet-12) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Gaus Uddin PE242 (Comilla-2) Pakistan Democratic Party Syed A. B. M. Obaidullah PE243 (Comilla-3) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Gani Munshi PE244 (Comilla-4) Pakistan Democratic Party Shafiqul Rahman PE245 (Comilla-5) Pakistan Democratic Party A. K. Rafiqul Hossain PE247 (Comilla-7) Pakistan Democratic Party Arfan Ali PE250 (Comilla-10) Convention Muslim League Mobarak Ali Sarkar PE258 (Comilla-18) Convention Muslim League Abdul Hakim PE261 (Comilla-21) Qayyum Muslim League Mujibur Rahman PE262 (Comilla-22) Council Muslim League Mir A. Razzak PE266 (Comilla-26) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Mohsenuzzaman Chowdhury PE272 (Noakhali-6) Convention Muslim League Sirajul Islam PE275 (Noakhali-9) Pakistan Democratic Party Siddiqullah Chowdhury PE276 (Noakhali-10) Pakistan Democratic Party Emdadul Haque PE277 (Noakhali-11) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan A. B. M. Mahiyuddin Chowdhury PE268 (Noakhali-2) Qayyum Muslim League Ibrahim Hossain PE269 (Noakhali-3) Nezam-e-Islam Party Abul Khair PE270 (Noakhali-4) Convention Muslim League Khaiz Ahmad Bhuiyan PE274 (Noakhali-8) Nezam-e-Islam Party Abdul Matin PE278 (Noakhali-12) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Fayez Ahmad Mia PE279 (Noakhali-13) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Abdul Wadud PE (Bogra-) Convention Muslim League Abdul Gani PE (Bakerganj-) Convention Muslim League Akhtar Uddin Ahmad PE (Bakerganj-) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Fazlur Rahman PE (Bakerganj-) Convention Muslim League Sardar Sultan Mahmud PE (Faridpur-) Pakistan Democratic Party Tofazzal Hossain PE (Faridpur-) Pakistan Democratic Party Khondaker Abdul Hamid PE (Faridpur-) Pakistan Democratic Party Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman PE (Faridpur-) Pakistan Democratic Party Md. Soleman Ukil PE (Faridpur-) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Khondaker Mohiuddin PE (Dhaka-) Pakistan Democratic Party Nurul Islam Chowdhury PE (Comilla-) Council Muslim League M. A. Salam PE (Chittagong-) Nezam-e-Islam Party Abdul Monaim PE (Mymensingh-) Nezam-e-Islam Party M. A. Gani Controversy, irregularities, and conflict Former Convention Muslim League member Kazi Abdul Kader described the organization of the by-elections as unthinkable given the circumstances and proposed a settlement with the winners of the previous elections. He argued that many opportunists would participate in the by-elections.Appeal to Postpone the By-Elections 6 October 15, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Kausar Niazi alleged that although the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had planned to field candidates in 20-30 National Assembly seats, due to threats from the Razakars, only seven candidates were able to submit nomination papers by October 21. He claimed that while candidates from the Six-Party Alliance were provided security, no such measures were taken for his party's candidates.Conspiracy Against PPP 1 October 22, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Mian Mahmud Ali Kasuri accused the Mukti Bahini and the Six-Party Alliance of creating security risks for PPP candidates through threats. He warned that if such conditions persisted, the party might have to reconsider its participation in the by-elections.Reconsideration May Be Necessary If Threats Continue 1, 6 October 23, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Upon learning about preparations for the by-elections, Mukti Bahini guerrillas detonated a bomb on November 1 at the provincial office of the Election Commission in Momenbagh, near Dhaka's Outer Circular Road.bn:নভেম্বর ১৯৭১: পাকিস্তানের মনোবল ভেঙে স্বাধীনতার পথে https://www.dw.com/bn/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%AF%E0%A7%AD%E0%A7%A7-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A7%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A5%E0%A7%87/a-67540051 Deutsche Welle 24 November 2023 bn On November 6, Abdul Qayyum Khan proposed advancing the election date, citing acts of sabotage.Advance the By-Election Date and Set a Final Deadline for the Return of Displaced Persons 1 November 7, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 7, Sultan Uddin Khan, a newly elected unopposed provincial council member from PE192 Dhaka-22 and a member of the Qayyum Muslim League, was assassinated by an unknown gunman.Newly Elected MPA Killed 6 November 7, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq In NE99 Faridpur-6, despite the presence of multiple candidates, Anisuzzaman Chowdhury was declared elected unopposed. In protest, another candidate, Sardar Abdul Motaleb of the Six-Party Alliance, submitted a complaint to the Election Commission along with his candidacy documents.Protest Against Unopposed Election Declaration 6 November 8, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Pakistan People's Party leader Khursheed Hasan Mir criticized Six-Party Alliance leader Nurul Amin for calling on independent and opposition candidates to withdraw from the elections. Mir claimed that the alliance was afraid of a real electoral contest and was pressuring PPP candidates to withdraw their nominations.PPP Leader Khursheed Hasan Mir Says— 6 November 11, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Ahmad Ali Mondal, the Six-Party Alliance candidate for NE107 Dhaka-4, alleged that despite not withdrawing from the election, the Election Commission declared Pakistan People's Party candidate Akram Hossain Khan elected unopposed in his constituency.Unopposed Election Challenged 6 November 9, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Aftermath thumb|right|250px|Members of the Mitro Bahini in western East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. On 23 November, 1971, in response to India's undeclared military offensive along the border of East Pakistan, a state of emergency was declared across Pakistan.President Yahya Declares Nationwide Emergency Due to External Aggression 1 November 24, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq On November 26, an election schedule was announced for 20 National Assembly seats and 71 Provincial Assembly seats in East Pakistan.By-Election Voting Date Announced 1 November 27, 1971 Dainik Azad On December 3, India launched an attack on West Pakistan, initiating the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.Pakistan-India War Has Begun 1 December 4, 1971 Dainik Ittefaq Following this, the Pakistan Election Commission postponed the by-elections on December 6, stating that new election dates would be announced later.By-elections Postponed en 1 December 7, 1971 The Pakistan Observer The next day, Nurul Amin was appointed as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.Hiro Dilip Dilip Hiro The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry between India and Pakistan 2015 New York Nation Books 978-1-56858-734-9 210 On December 16, the Pakistan Army surrendered in Dhaka to the Mitro Bahini, leading to the independence of East Pakistan as Bangladesh. Liberation War On December 20, following the Rebellion of Majors and Colonels, Yahya Khan was removed from power, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the new leader of Pakistan.https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/after-1971-defeat-bhutto-dreamt-confederation-188143 After 1971 Defeat, Bhutto Dreamt of Confederation en Inam Ahmed Shakhawat Liton December 16, 2015 The Daily Star https://web.archive.org/web/20151217164617/https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/after-1971-defeat-bhutto-dreamt-confederation-188143 December 17, 2015 live Six days after the Pakistani surrender, the Government of Bangladesh relocated from Kolkata, India, to Dhaka and officially began its operations.https://www.jagonews24.com/feature/article/819629 Bangladesh's Cabinet Moved from Mujibnagar to Dhaka December 22, 2022 Jago News March 24, 2025 January 2, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230102091337/https://www.jagonews24.com/feature/article/819629 live Meanwhile, on December 23, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto annulled the by-elections and their results.https://www.dawn.com/news/771987/revisiting-1971-what-if-they-elected-traitors Revisiting 1971: What if They Elected Traitors? en Tahir Mehdi December 17, 2012 Dawn On 7 January, 1972, under Bhutto's orders, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Pakistan.https://bangla.thedailystar.net/literature/history-tradition/history/news-438546 Finally, the Great Leader Returns Home Ahmad Ishtiaq January 10, 2023 The Daily Star On January 12, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman resigned as President of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh and became the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.Butterfield Fox January 13, 1972 Sheikh Mujib Takes Prime Ministership; Appoints a Cabinet https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/13/archives/sheik-mujib-takes-prime-ministership-appoints-a-cabinet-mujib.html The New York Times June 14, 2022 June 14, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220614005937/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/13/archives/sheik-mujib-takes-prime-ministership-appoints-a-cabinet-mujib.html live Later, Bangladesh formed the Constituent Assembly of Bangladesh with the members elected in the 1970 National and Provincial Assembly elections to draft a new constitution.গণপরিষদের বিতর্কের আলোকে বাংলাদেশের সংবিধান জন্মকথা ইসলাম কাবেদুল September 2023 Maula Brothers Dhaka 7 978-984-97686-5-4 On 10 April, 1973, Pakistan adopted a new constitution in the National Assembly,https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/11/archives/new-constitution-is-approved-by-pakistans-assembly-east-pakistan.html New Constitution is Approved by Pakistan's Assembly en April 11, 1973 The New York Times and on 14 August, 1973, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; The Architect of New Pakistan en Raja Syed Rasool Printwise Publications 2008 978-969-8500-00-9 Karachi 15–17 References Category:By-elections in Pakistan Category:Bangladesh Liberation War Category:Elections in East Pakistan Category:Uncontested elections Category:Cancelled elections