List of political parties in Bangladesh
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This article lists political parties in People's Republic of Bangladesh.
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]
- A party needs to secure at least one seat with its electoral symbol in two previous parliamentary elections.
- Securing of five percent of total votes cast in the constituencies in which its candidates took part in any of the aforesaid parliamentary elections.
- 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
[edit]
These are all of the political parties that holds at least a seat in the Bangladeshi Parliament
| Symbol or flag | Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | MPs | Most MPs | Political position | Affiliation | Local government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipalities | Cities | Villages | ||||||||||
 | Bangladesh Awami League বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ Bangladesh People's League | 1949 | Sheikh Hasina | 271 / 350 | 306 (2020); 97.7% (1973) | Centre[a] |  GA | 136 / 330 | 10 / 12 | 2,187 / 4,562 | ||
 | 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 বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি | 1980 | Communism Marxism–Leninism | Rashed Khan Menon | 1 / 350 | 6 (1.7%; 2014) | Far-left | GA | 0 / 330 | 0 / 12 | 2 / 4,562 | |
 | Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল National Socialist Party | 1972 | Socialism | Hasanul Haq Inu | 1 / 350 | 8 (2.67%; 1977) | Left-wing | GA | 1 / 330 | 0 / 12 | 2 / 4,562 | |
 | 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 | ||
 | Independents স্বতন্ত্র | 62 / 350 | 62 (20.6%; 2024) | 0 / 330 | 1 / 12 | 1,562 / 4,562 | ||||||
Alliances
[edit]Grand Alliance
[edit]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
[edit]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.[6]
Major parties
[edit]Bangladesh Awami League
[edit] | 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.[7] 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
[edit] | 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.[8]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.[9] |
Jatiya Party (Ershad)
[edit] | 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
[edit]These are all the parties that are currently registered under Election Commission.[10]
| Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | Political position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Bangladesh Awami League বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ | 1949 | Sheikh Hasina | Centre[b] | ||
| 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 | 1968 | Shah Alam | Far-left | ||
| SPB | Socialist Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল | 1980 | Comrade 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 | 2014 | Anwar 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 | 2004 | Saiful 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 | ||
| Insaniyat | Humanity Revolution Bangladesh ইনসানিয়াত বিপ্লব, বাংলাদেশ[11] [12] | 2010 | Humanitarian | Allama Imam Hayat | ||
| Bangladesh JASAD | Bangladesh National Socialist Party- Bangladesh JASAD বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রীক দল- বাংলাদেশ জাসদ | SocialismScientific socialism | Sarif Nurul Ambia | Left to Far-left | ||
Regional parties
[edit]| Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | Political position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCJSS | Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম জনসংহতি সমিতি | 1972 | Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts | Shantu Larma | Left-wing | |
| UPDF | United People's Democratic Front ইউনাইটেড পিপলস ডেমোক্রেটিক ফ্রন্ট | 1998 | Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts | Prasit Bikash Khisa | Left-wing | |
Unregistered parties
[edit]- Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
- Communist Movement of Bangladesh (CMB)[13]
- Bangladesh Justice Party (BAJAPA)
- Ganosamhati Andolan
- Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh - RCLB (Former United Communist League of Bangladesh.)
- Maoist Bolshevik Reorganisation Movement of the Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party
- Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party
- Purbo Banglar Communist Party
- Jatiya Ganotantrik Party
- Kuki-Chin National Front
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Jatiya Party to contest the national polls with grand alliance | News Flash".
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Hossain, Akram; Mahmudul, Haque (19 October 2021). Survival Strategies of Jamaat as a Religion-Based Political Opponent in Bangladesh. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 105–123. doi:10.1007/978-981-16-4314-9_7. ISBN 978-981-16-4314-9. S2CID 239951371.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Khan, Q. M. Jalal (25 June 2021). President Ziaur Rahman: Legendary Leader of Bangladesh. Writers Republic LLC. ISBN 9781637285749.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ruud, Arild; Hasan, Mubashar (18 October 2021). Masks of Authoritarianism Hegemony, Power and Public Life in Bangladesh. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. p. 112. ISBN 9789811643149.
- ^ "Leftist parties form new Left Democratic Alliance as general election nears". bdnews24.com. 19 July 2018.
- ^ Barry, Ellen (6 January 2014). "Bangladesh's Governing Party Wins Vote Amid Unrest". The New York Times.
- ^ "Bangladesh Election Results". Bangladesh Election Commission. 10 April 2008.
- ^ "Bangladesh's ruling Awami League wins boycotted poll". BBC News. 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Bangladesh Election Commission".
- ^ "Insaniyat Biplab Bangladesh now EC-registered party". The Daily Star. 9 May 2023.
- ^ "New political party Humanity Revolution, Bangladesh registered by EC". Dhaka Tribune. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "নতুন দল বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী আন্দোলনের আত্মপ্রকাশ (English: Public Appearance of New Party Communist Movement of Bangladesh)". Bangla News 24. 3 April 2021.
