List of political parties in Bangladesh

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This article lists political parties in People's Republic of Bangladesh.

Contents

Since the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991, Bangladesh has a fading two-party system, which means that two political parties dominates the general elections, centrist Awami League (AL) and centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of another party.

However, though the AL and BNP dominated Bangladesh politics for a long time, currently these two are heading coalitions of like-minded parties with the AL leading the left-of-centre parties and the BNP is rallying the right-of-centre parties. [1]

A party is recognised as a registered party only if it fulfils any two of the conditions listed below: [2]

  1. A party needs to secure at least one seat with its electoral symbol in two previous parliamentary elections.
  2. Securing of five percent of total votes cast in the constituencies in which its candidates took part in any of the aforesaid parliamentary elections.
  3. It needs to set up a functional central office, by whatever name it may be called with a central committee, having offices at least in one-third administrative districts, and offices at least in 100 upazilas or metropolitan thanas. And the party must have a minimum 200 voters as its members in each upazila.

Currently in the Parliament

2024BDelectionresults.svg

These are all of the political parties that holds at least a seat in the Bangladeshi Parliament

Symbol or flagNameFoundedIdeologyLeader MPs Most MPsPolitical
position
Affiliation Local government
Municipalities Cities Villages
baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger ptaakaa.svg Bangladesh Awami League
বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ
Bangladesh People's League
1949
    Sheikh Hasina
    271 / 350
    306 (2020);
    97.7% (1973)
    Centre baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger ptaakaa.svg GA
    136 / 330
    10 / 12
    2,187 / 4,562
    Jatiya Party-JaPa flag.png Jatiya Party (Ershad)
    জাতীয় পার্টি
    National Party (Ershad)
    1986 GM Quader
    13 / 350
    256 (68.4%; 1988) Centre-right
    1 / 330
    1 / 12
    16 / 4,562
    Workers Party of Bangladesh Flag.jpg Workers Party of Bangladesh
    বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি
    1980 Communism
    Marxism–Leninism
    Rashed Khan Menon
    1 / 350
    6 (1.7%; 2014) Far-left baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger ptaakaa.svg GA
    0 / 330
    0 / 12
    2 / 4,562
    jaasder ptaakaa.svg Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal
    জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল
    National Socialist Party
    1972 Socialism Hasanul Haq Inu
    1 / 350
    8 (2.67%; 1977) Left-wing baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger ptaakaa.svg GA
    1 / 330
    0 / 12
    2 / 4,562
    Bangladesh Kallyan Party logo.png Bangladesh Kalyan Party
    বাংলাদেশ কল্যাণ পার্টি
    Bangladesh Welfare Party
    2007 Welfarism
    Bangladeshi nationalism
    Islamic democracy
    Syed Muhammad Ibrahim
    1 / 350
    1 (0.33%; 2024) Radical centre
    0 / 330
    0 / 12
    0 / 4,562
    Independent Disc.png Independents
    স্বতন্ত্র
    62 / 350
    62 (20.6%; 2024)
    0 / 330
    1 / 12
    1,562 / 4,562

    Alliances

    Grand Alliance

    The Grand Alliance (মহাজোট) is a coalition government in Bangladesh that formed in 2008 and consisted of the Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- JASAD, Workers Party and three other parties.

    The Liberal Democratic Party left the Grand Alliance before the election and contested independently. It joined the 18 Party Alliance in 2012.

    Left Democratic Alliance

    The Left Democratic Alliance is an alliance of 8 Leftist Political parties including Communist Party of Bangladesh, Basad, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, United Communist League Of Bangladesh, Ganatantrik Biplobi Party, Bam Gonotantrik Andolon and Gonoshonghoti Andolon. [3]

    Major parties

    Bangladesh Awami League

    baaNlaadesh aaoy'aamii liiger ptaakaa.svg

    The Bangladesh Awami League (Bengali : বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ; English: Bangladesh People's League) is one of the two largest political parties of Bangladesh. It is the country's current governing party, after winning a majority in heavily criticized 2014 parliamentary elections where the majority of seats were uncontested. [4] The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League was founded in Dhaka, the capital of the Pakistani province of East Bengal, in 1949 by Bengali nationalists Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Yar Mohammad Khan, Shamsul Huq, and later Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. In 1953, the party's council meeting voted to drop the word "Muslim" from its name in order to give it a more secular outlook, owing to the need to include the province's large Hindu population in Pakistani politics. Amongst the leaders of the Awami League, five have become the President of Bangladesh, four have become the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and one became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. His daughter and also the incumbent Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has headed the party since 1981.

    Bangladesh Nationalist Party

    The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Bengali : বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, transliterated: Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl), often abbreviated as BNP was founded on 1 September 1978 by Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman, politician and physician A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury, human rights activist and lawyer Moudud Ahmed and leftist politician Mashiur Rahman as the key people. BNP has won the second, fifth, sixth and eighth national elections and two presidential elections, in 1978 and 1981 respectively. The party also holds the record of being the largest opposition in the history of parliamentary elections of the country with 116 seats in the seventh national election of 1996. [5] The party does not have any representation in the parliament after its boycott of the national election of 2014 which the party had termed a scandalous farce and was marked by a very low turnout. [6]

    Jatiya Party (Ershad)

    Jatiya Party-JaPa flag.png

    The Jatiya Party (Ershad) (Bengali : জাতীয় পার্টি; English: National Party (Ershad)) was established by President Hussain Mohammad Ershad on 1 January 1986. The Army Chief Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad had usurped the state power by a coup d'état on 24 March 1982, and ruled the country as chief martial law administrator till December 1983. Political parties and activity had been prohibited during the state of emergency, when Justice A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury was appointed President of Bangladesh.

    The Jatiya Party had a rift in leadership and an internal wrangle in 2000. The three factions were headed by General Ershad, Anwar Hossain Manju and Naziur Rahman Manju. In the general elections of 2001, the Ershad group of the Jatiya Party won 14 seats, and the Anwar Hossain group won one seat.

    Registered parties

    These are all the parties that are currently registered under Election Commission. [7]

    NameFoundedIdeologyLeaderPolitical position
    AL Bangladesh Awami League
    বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ
    1949 Sheikh Hasina Centre
    BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party
    বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল
    1978 Khaleda Zia Centre-right
    JP-E Jatiya Party (Ershad)
    জাতীয় পার্টি
    1986 GM Quader Centre-right
    CPB Communist Party of Bangladesh
    বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি
    1948Shah Alam Far-left
    SPB Socialist Party of Bangladesh
    বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল
    1980Comrade Bazlur Rashid Firoz Left
    WPB Workers Party of Bangladesh
    বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি
    1980 Rashed Khan Menon Far-left
    JASAD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal
    জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল (জাসদ)
    1972 Socialism Hasanul Haque Inu Left-wing
    BDB Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh
    বিকল্পধারা বাংলাদেশ
    2004 A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury Centre
    GF Gano Forum
    গণফোরাম
    1992 Secularism Kamal Hossain Centre
    JP-M Jatiya Party (Manju)
    জাতীয় পার্টি - জেপি
    2014Anwar Hossain Manju Centre-right
    BTF Bangladesh Tarikat Federation
    বাংলাদেশ তরিকত ফেডারেশন
    2005 Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari Right-wing
    LDP Liberal Democratic Party
    লিবারেল ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টি
    2006 Economic Liberalisation Oli Ahmed Centre
    BSD-ML Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal
    বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী দল (এম.এল)
    Dilip Barua Left to Far-left
    KSJL Krishak Sramik Janata League
    কৃষক শ্রমিক জনতা লীগ
    1999 Bangabir Kader Siddique Centre left
    GP Ganatantri Party
    গণতন্ত্রী পার্টি
    Secularism Md Arash Ali
    NAP National Awami Party
    ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি
    1967 Socialism Amina Ahmed
    JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD
    জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল-জেএসডি
    2002 Socialism A.S.M Abdur Rab Left
    ZP Zaker Party
    জাকের পার্টি
    Khaja Babaism Mustafa Amir Faisal Right wing
    BJP Bangladesh Jatiya Party
    বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি-বিজেপি
    2001 Nationalism Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho Centre
    BKF Khilafat Andolan
    বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন
    1981 Islamic democracy Mawlana Ataullah Right
    BML Bangladesh Muslim League
    বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ
    1906 Muslim nationalism Jubeda Kader Chaudhuri
    NPP National People's Party
    ন্যাশনাল পিপলস্‌ পার্টি (এনপিপি)
    Sheikh Salauddin Salu
    JUI Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam
    জমিয়তে উলামায়ে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ
    Islamic democracy Sheikh Zia Uddin
    GF Gano Front
    গণফ্রন্ট
    1995 Secularism Jakir Hossain Left wing
    BDNAP Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP
    বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি-বাংলাদেশ ন্যাপ
    1971 Socialism Jobel Rahman Gani
    BJP Bangladesh Jatiya Party
    বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি
    M. A. Mukit
    IFB Islamic Front Bangladesh
    ইসলামিক ফ্রন্ট বাংলাদেশ
    Mujaddedism Bahadur Shah Mujaddedi
    BKP Bangladesh Kallyan Party
    বাংলাদেশ কল্যাণ পার্টি
    Welfarism Sayad Muhammad Ibrahim
    IOJ Islami Oikya Jote
    ইসলামী ঐক্যজোট
    Islamic democracy Abul Hasnat Amini
    BKM Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish
    বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত মজলিস
    1989 Islamic democracy Habibur Rahman
    IAB Islami Andolan Bangladesh
    ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ
    Mawlana Sayad Md.Rezaul Karim (Chormonai Pir)Islami Shariah
    BIF Bangladesh Islami Front
    বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ফ্রন্ট
    1990 Sunni Sufism M.A. Matin
    BBWP Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party
    বাংলাদেশের বিপ্লবী ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি
    2004Saiful Haq
    KM Khelafat Majlish
    খেলাফত মজলিস
    1989 Islamic democracy Mawlana Mohammad Ishaq
    BML Bangladesh Muslim League-BML
    বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ-বিএমএল
    Muslim nationalism A.H.M. Kamruzzaman
    BSM Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijot
    বাংলাদেশ সাংস্কৃতিক মুক্তিজোট (মুক্তিজোট)
    Secularism Abdur Razzak Mullah
    BNF Bangladesh Nationalist Front
    বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনালিস্ট ফ্রন্ট-বিএনএফ
    2012 Secularism M.A. Abul Kalam Azad
    NDM Jatiotabadi Ganatantric Andolon
    জাতীয়তাবাদী গণতান্ত্রিক আন্দোলন-এনডিএম
    2017 Bobby Hajjaj
    BC Bangladesh Congress
    বাংলাদেশ কংগ্রেস
    2013 Secularism Kazi Rezaul Hossen
    Grassroots BNP Grassroots Bangladesh Nationalist Party
    তৃণমূল বিএনপি
    2015 Secularism Nazmul Huda
    InsaniyatHumanity Revolution Bangladesh
    ইনসানিয়াত বিপ্লব, বাংলাদেশ [8] [9]
    2010 Humanitarian Allama Imam Hayat
    Bangladesh JASADBangladesh National Socialist Party- Bangladesh JASAD
    বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রীক দল- বাংলাদেশ জাসদ
    Socialism Scientific socialism Sarif Nurul Ambia Left to Far-left

    Regional parties

    NameFoundedIdeologyLeaderPolitical position
    PCJSS Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti
    পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম জনসংহতি সমিতি
    1972 Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Shantu Larma Syncretism
    (socially far-right, economically left-wing)
    UPDF United People's Democratic Front
    ইউনাইটেড পিপলস ডেমোক্রেটিক ফ্রন্ট
    1998Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill TractsPrasit Bikash Khisa Syncretism
    (socially far-right, economically left-wing)

    Unregistered parties

    See also

    Related Research Articles

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    References

    1. "Jatiya Party to contest the national polls with grand alliance | News Flash".
    2. কমিশনে রাজনৈতিক দলসমূহের নিবন্ধন আইন, ২০২০ [Commission Political Party Registration Act 2020](PDF). Election Commission of Bangladesh (in Bengali). 30 June 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
    3. "Leftist parties form new Left Democratic Alliance as general election nears". bdnews24.com. 19 July 2018.
    4. Barry, Ellen (6 January 2014). "Bangladesh's Governing Party Wins Vote Amid Unrest". The New York Times.
    5. "Bangladesh Election Results". Bangladesh Election Commission. 10 April 2008.
    6. "Bangladesh's ruling Awami League wins boycotted poll". BBC News. 6 January 2014.
    7. "Bangladesh Election Commission".
    8. "Insaniyat Biplab Bangladesh now EC-registered party". The Daily Star. 9 May 2023.
    9. "New political party Humanity Revolution, Bangladesh registered by EC". Dhaka Tribune . 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
    10. "নতুন দল বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী আন্দোলনের আত্মপ্রকাশ (English: Public Appearance of New Party Communist Movement of Bangladesh)". Bangla News 24. 3 April 2021.