[2] The election was originally scheduled for January 2007, but it was postponed by a military-controlled caretaker government for an extended period of time.

On 11 December, the Awami League formed a coalition with the Jatiya Party led by Hussain Muhammad Ershad once deposed through mass uprising.

The Bangladesh Awami League (AL) decided to participate in the 2008 parliamentary election under the name of "Grand Alliance" with the Jatiya Party led by General Ershad as its main partner.

Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon contested for Dhaka-8, its general secretary Bimal Biswas for Narail-1, its politburo member Fazle Hossain Badsha for Rajshahi-2, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal president Hasanul Haq Inu for Kushtia-2, its leaders Moinuddin Khan Badal for Chittagong-8, Rezaul Karim Tansen for Bogra-4, Shah Ahmed Jikrul for Brahmanbaria-5 and Gias Uddin for Mymensingh-9.

The Awami League kept the Noakhali-1 constituency reserved, where the election has been postponed following the death of Ganatantri Party leader Mohammad Nurul Islam in a mysterious fire.

BNP conceded two seats each to its three smaller allies which were Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Islami Oikya Jote and Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam.

Awami League and other parties arranged various processions and strikes, protesting that the election result was pre-arranged in the government's favour.

With the intervention of the Army the President had to resign from his Chief-Advisor's post and Fakhruddin Ahmed was appointed as the new chief adviser.

[7][8][9] The military-controlled government worked on a minus-two formula which meant ousting Hasina and Zia, who were two popular political leaders of the country.

In accordance with this plan, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus announced the foundation of a new party called Citizens' Power.

[20] BBC News reported that the candidates supported by the Awami League won twelve of the thirteen city corporations and municipalities voting, according to election commission officials.

[25][26] This was the first time elections used national ID cards with photographs to avoid fake voting, which was an UN-funded initiative to create a digital electoral roll.