List of political parties in Bangladesh explained

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 dominate 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.

Although the AL and BNP dominated Bangladeshi politics for a long time, the two are currently leading coalitions of like-minded parties, with the AL leading the left-of-centre parties and the BNP rallying the right-of-centre parties.[1]

Parties in the parliament prior to dissolution

These were all of the political parties that held at least one seat in the Jatiya Sangsad. The 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved on 6 August 2024. This is the state prior to the dissolution.

Alliances

Grand Alliance

See main article: Grand Alliance (Bangladesh). The Grand Alliance (মহাজোট) is a coalition government in Bangladesh that formed in 2008 and consisted of the Awami League, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party,Liberal Democratic Party,Jatiya Party (Manju),Bangladesh Tarikat Federation,Ganatantri Dol,Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist) (Barua) andBikalpa Dhara Bangladesh.

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

See main article: Left Democratic Alliance (Bangladesh). The Left Democratic Alliance is an alliance of eight leftist political parties including Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh, Ganatantrik Biplobi Party, Bam Gonotantrik Andolon and Ganosanhati Andolan.[2]

Major parties

Since 1991, due to the two-party system, two major parties, Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party constantly dominate the politics and form government.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party

See main article: Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, 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.[3] 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.[4]

Registered parties

These are all the parties that are currently registered under Election Commission.[5] [6]

NameFoundedIdeologyLeaderPolitical positionMost MP's
1LDPLiberal Democratic Party
Bengali: লিবারেল ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টি
2006Economic liberalisationOli AhmadCentre1 (2008)
2JP-MJatiya Party (Manju)
Bengali: জাতীয় পার্টি (মঞ্জু)
2014
    Anwar Hossain ManjuCentre-right2 (2014)
    3BSD-MLBangladesh Samyabadi Dal
    Bengali: বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী দল
      Dilip BaruaFar-left0
      4KSJLKrishak Sramik Janata League
      Bengali: কৃষক শ্রমিক জনতা লীগ
      1999Bangabir Kader SiddiqueCentre-left1 (2001)
      5CPBCommunist Party of Bangladesh
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি
      1968Shah AlamFar-left5 (1991)
      6ALBangladesh Awami League
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ
      1949Sheikh HasinaCentre left to Centre306 (2020)
      7BNPBangladesh Nationalist Party
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল
      1978Centre-right278 (1996)
      8GPGanatantri Party
      Bengali: গণতন্ত্রী পার্টি
      SecularismMd Arash Ali1 (2024)
      9NAPNational Awami Party
      Bengali: ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি
      1967SocialismAmina Ahmed1 (1979, 1991)
      10WPBWorkers Party of Bangladesh
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি
      1980Rashed Khan MenonFar-left6 (2014)
      11BDBBikalpa Dhara Bangladesh
      Bengali: বিকল্পধারা বাংলাদেশ
      2004A. Q. M. Badruddoza ChowdhuryCentre2 (2018)
      12JP-EJatiya Party (Ershad)
      Bengali: জাতীয় পার্টি (এরশাদ)
      1986GM QuaderCentre-right251 (1988)
      13JASADJatiya Samajtantrik Dal
      Bengali: জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল
      1972SocialismHasanul Haque InuLeft-wing8 (1979)
      14Registration cancelled
      15JSDJatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab)
      2002SocialismA.S.M Abdur RabLeft4 (1986)
      16ZPZaker Party
      Bengali: জাকের পার্টি
      Sufism Mustafa Amir FaisalRight wing0
      17SPBSocialist Party of Bangladesh
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল
      1980Comrade Bazlur Rashid FirozLeft0
      18BJPBangladesh Jatiya Party
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি
      2001NationalismBarrister Andaleeve Rahman ParthoCentre4 (2001)
      19BTFBangladesh Tarikat Federation
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ তরিকত ফেডারেশন
      2005Right-wing2 (2014)
      20BKFKhilafat Andolan
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন
      1981Islamic democracyMawlana AtaullahRight0
      21BMLBangladesh Muslim League
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ
      1906Muslim nationalismJubeda Kader Chaudhuri 20 (1979)
      22NPPNational People's Party
      Bengali: ন্যাশনাল পিপলস্‌ পার্টি
      Sheikh Salauddin Salu0
      23JUIJamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh
      Bengali: জমিয়তে উলামায়ে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ
      Islamic democracySheikh Zia Uddin0
      24GFGano Forum
      Bengali: গণফোরাম
      1992SecularismKamal HossainCentre2 (2018)
      25GFGano Front
      Bengali: গণফ্রন্ট
      1995SecularismJakir HossainLeft wing0
      26Registration cancelled
      27BDNAPBangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি-বাংলাদেশ ন্যাপ
      2006Jebel Rahman Ghaani0
      28BJPBangladesh Jatiya Party
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি
      M. A. Mukit0
      29Registration cancelled
      30IFBIslamic Front Bangladesh
      Bengali: ইসলামিক ফ্রন্ট বাংলাদেশ
      MujaddedismBahadur Shah Mujaddedi0
      31BKPBangladesh Kallyan Party
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ কল্যাণ পার্টি
      Sayad Muhammad Ibrahim1 (2024)
      32IOJIslami Oikya Jote
      Bengali: ইসলামী ঐক্যজোট
      Islamic democracyAbul Hasnat Amini2 (2001)
      33BKMBangladesh Khelafat Majlish
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত মজলিস
      1989Islamic democracyHabibur Rahman 0
      34IABIslami Andolan Bangladesh
      Bengali: ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ
      1987Syed Rezaul Karim0
      35BIFBangladesh Islami Front
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ফ্রন্ট
      1990Sunni SufismM.A. Matin0
      36Registration cancelled
      37BBWP Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশের বিপ্লবী ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি
      2004Saiful Haq0
      38KMKhelafat Majlish
      Bengali: খেলাফত মজলিস
      1989 Islamic democracyMawlana Mohammad Ishaq0
      39Registration cancelled
      40BMLBangladesh Muslim League
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ
      Muslim nationalismA.H.M. Kamruzzaman20 (1979)
      41BSMBangladesh Sanskritik Muktijot
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ সাংস্কৃতিক মুক্তিজোট
      SecularismAbdur Razzak Mullah0
      42BNFBangladesh Nationalist Front
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনালিস্ট ফ্রন্ট
      2012M.A. Abul Kalam Azad1 (2014)
      43NDMJatiotabadi Ganatantric Andolon
      Bengali: জাতীয়তাবাদী গণতান্ত্রিক আন্দোলন
      2017Bobby Hajjaj0
      44BCBangladesh Congress
      Bengali: বাংলাদেশ কংগ্রেস
      2013SecularismKazi Rezaul Hossain0
      45Grassroots BNPGrassroots Bangladesh Nationalist Party
      Bengali: তৃণমূল বিএনপি
      2015SecularismNazmul Huda0
      46InsaniyatHumanity Revolution Bangladesh
      Bengali: ইনসানিয়াত বিপ্লব বাংলাদেশ
      2010HumanitarianAllama Imam Hayat0
      47BDJSDBangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- Bangladesh JASAD
      বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল-জাসদ
      2023SocialismSharif Nurul AmbiaLeft0
      48BNMBangladesh Nationalist Movement
      বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী আন্দোলন
      2023Bangladeshi nationalismAbdur RahmanCenter to Centre-right0
      49BSPBangladesh Supreme Party
      বাংলাদেশ সুপ্রিম পার্টি
      2023Sufism (Maizbhandarism)Sayed Saifuddin AhmedRight-wing0
      50AB PartyAmar Bangladesh Party
      আমার বাংলাদেশ পার্টি
      2020AFM Solaiman ChowdhuryRight-wing0
      51GOPGono Odhikar Parishad-GOP
      গণঅধিকার পরিষদ-জিওপি
      2021ProgressivismNurul Haq NurCentre0
      52NONagorik Oikko
      নাগরিক ঐক্য
      2012Mahmudur Rahman MannaLeft-wing0
      53GSAGanosanhati Andolan
      গণসংহতি আন্দোলন
      2002EgalitarianismZonayed SakiLeft-wing0

      Regional parties

      NameFoundedIdeologyLeaderPolitical position
      PCJSSParbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti
      Bengali: পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রাম জনসংহতি সমিতি
      1972Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill TractsShantu LarmaLeft-wing
      UPDF United People's Democratic Front
      Bengali: ইউনাইটেড পিপলস ডেমোক্রেটিক ফ্রন্ট
      1998Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill TractsPrasit Bikash KhisaLeft-wing

      Outlawed parties

      NameFoundedIdeologyLeaderPolitical positionLegal statusNote
      Maoist Bolshevik Reorganization Movement of the Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party2001Communism MaoismFar-leftOutlawed[7] [8]
      Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party1971Communism MaoismAnwar KabirFar-leftBanned[9]
      Purba Banglar Communist Party1968Communism MaoismTipu BiswasFar-leftBanned[10]
      Kuki-Chin National Front2008Autonomy of Kuki-Chin peopleNathan BomBanned[11] [12]

      Unregistered parties

      See also

      Notes and References

      1. Web site: Jatiya Party to contest the national polls with grand alliance | News Flash .
      2. News: Leftist parties form new Left Democratic Alliance as general election nears. 20 October 2024. bdnews24.com. 19 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180718210021/https://bdnews24.com/politics/2018/07/19/leftist-parties-form-new-left-democratic-alliance-as-general-election-nears. 18 July 2018.
      3. Web site: Bangladesh Election Results. Bangladesh Election Commission. 10 April 2008.
      4. News: Bangladesh's ruling Awami League wins boycotted poll . BBC News . 6 January 2014.
      5. Web site: Bangladesh Election Commission.
      6. Web site: Bangladesh Election Commission .
      7. Web site: 2018-04-19 . 5 killed in series of 'gunfights' . 2024-08-20 . Prothomalo . en.
      8. Web site: Report . Star Online . 2015-11-05 . 3 killed in separate 'gunfights' . 2024-08-20 . The Daily Star . en.
      9. Web site: 2012-02-22 . Regional Information Base on Terrorism :: Terrorism news, Chronology, Organization Profiles . 2024-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120222185840/http://www.ribt.org/nuke/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=Organizations&file=organization&id=43 . 2012-02-22 .
      10. Web site: Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Terrorist Group, Bangladesh . 2024-08-20 . www.satp.org.
      11. Web site: 2023-04-10 . Who are these Kuki-Chin armies in the CHT? . 2024-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410150052/https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2023/01/17/who-are-these-kuki-chin-armies-in-the-cht . 2023-04-10 .
      12. Web site: 2024-05-02 . In Chattogram Hill Tracts, a new group of armed insurgents is making waves. Who are they? . 2024-08-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240502085229/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/in-chattogram-hill-tracts-a-new-group-of-armed-insurgents-is-making-waves.-who-are-they . 2024-05-02 .
      13. News: 3 April 2021 . নতুন দল বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী আন্দোলনের আত্মপ্রকাশ (English: Public Appearance of New Party Communist Movement of Bangladesh) . 1 October 2024 . Banglanews24.com.