1978 Bangladeshi presidential election

1978 Bangladeshi presidential election

← 1974 3 June 1978 1981 →
Turnout	54.27%
Candidate Ziaur Rahman M. A. G. Osmani Party Jatiyatabadi Front Ganatantrik Oikkya Jote Popular vote 15,733,807 4,455,200 Percentage 76.63% 21.70%
President before election Ziaur Rahman Military Junta President Ziaur Rahman Jatiyatabadi Front

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Presidential elections were held in Bangladesh on 3 June 1978. They were the first direct elections for presidency in the country, as the president had previously been elected by the Jatiya Sangsad.^[1] The result was a victory for Ziaur Rahman, who received 77% of the vote. Voter turnout was 54%.^[2]

They were the first presidential elections since the August 1975 coup that overthrew and killed president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and led to a military regime.^[3] The 1978 elections were called by the regime to lend legitimacy to its rule.^[3] The elections took place amid martial law, repression of the political opposition and curtailment of press freedoms.^[3] Other political parties were weakly organized.