List of political parties in Bangladesh
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This article lists political parties in People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has a fading two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of another party.
However, though the center-left Awami League (AL) and center-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) dominated Bangladesh politics for a long time, currently both are heading coalitions of like-minded parties with the AL leading the secular and liberal elements while BNP is rallying the right-of-centre parties.
A party is recognised as a registered party only if it fulfils any two of the conditions listed below:[1]
- 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[]
These are all of the political parties that holds at least a seat in the Bangladeshi Parliament
| Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | MPs | Most MPs (numerically) |
Most MPs (proportionally) |
Political position |
Affiliation | Local government | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipalities | Cities | Villages | |||||||||||
|
Bangladesh Awami League বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ |
1949 | Social liberalism, Economic liberalism | Sheikh Hasina | 300 / 350
|
306 (2020) | 76.88% (2018) | Centre to centre-left |
GA | 136 / 330
|
9 / 12
|
2,133 / 4,562
| |
|
Bangladesh Nationalist Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল |
1978 | National conservatism | Khaleda Zia | 7 / 350
|
300 (1996) | 100% (1996) | Centre-right to right-wing |
20 Party JOF |
3 / 330
|
1 / 12
|
0 / 4,562
| |
|
Jatiya Party (Ershad) জাতীয় পার্টি |
1986 | Liberalism | GM Quader | 25 / 350
|
256 (1988) | 68.4% (1988) | Centre-right | GA | 1 / 330
|
1 / 12
|
16 / 4,562
| |
|
Workers Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি |
1980 | Marxism-Leninism | Rashed Khan Menon | 4 / 350
|
Far-left | GA | 0 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
||||
|
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল |
1972 | Socialism | Hasanul Haque Inu | 2 / 350
|
Left-wing | GA | 1 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
||||
|
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh বিকল্প ধারা বাংলাদেশ |
2004 | Social liberalism | A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury | 2 / 350
|
Centre | GA | 0 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
||||
|
Gano Forum গণফোরাম |
1992 | Secularism | Kamal Hossain | 2 / 350
|
Centre | JOF | 0 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
||||
|
Jatiya Party (Manju) জাতীয় পার্টি-জেপি |
2014 | Anwar Hossain Manju | 1 / 350
|
Centre-right | GA | 0 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
|||||
| Bangladesh Tarikat Federation বাংলাদেশ তরিকত ফেডারেশন |
2005 | Islamic democracy, Conservatism | Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary | 1 / 350
|
Right-wing | GA | 0 / 330
|
0 / 12
|
|||||
| Independents সতন্ত্র |
3 / 350
|
0 / 330
|
1 / 12
|
1,562 / 4,562
| |||||||||
Alliances[]
Grand Alliance[]
The Grand Alliance (মহাজোট) also known as 14 Party Alliance is a coalition government in Bangladesh that formed in 2008 and consisted of the Bangladesh Awami League, Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- JASAD, Workers Party and nine other parties.
The Liberal Democratic Party left the Grand Alliance before the election and contested independently. It joined the 18 Party Alliance in 2012.
20 Party Alliance[]
The 20 Party Alliance is an alliance of some Bangladeshi political parties led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and other right wing parties. It was formed on 2014 in Dhaka, extending its predecessor the 18 Party Alliance.[2] The 20 Party Alliance is formed as an effort to strengthen the anti-government movement demanding restoration of the caretaker government system.
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]
Jatio Oikko Front[]
The Jatio Oikko Front is a newly formed alliance consisting of four political parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party.Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Gano Forum and Mahmudur Rahman Manna's Nagorik Oikko Bangladesh. This Alliance is trying to build up a National Unity Along with other democratic parties ahead of The 11th Jatiya Sangsad Elections. This is the biggest association of political parties in Bangladesh .
Major parties[]
Bangladesh Awami League[]
|
The Bangladesh Awami League (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ; translated from 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)[]
|
The Jatiya Party (Ershad) (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]
| Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | Political position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | Bangladesh Awami League বাংলাদেশ আওয়ামী লীগ |
1949 | Economic liberalism, social democracy, secularism | Sheikh Hasina | Centre to centre-left | |
| BNP | Bangladesh Nationalist Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল |
1978 | National conservatism, economic liberalism, Bangladeshi nationalism, Islamism, Islamic democracy | Khaleda Zia | Centre-right to right-wing | |
| JP-E | Jatiya Party (Ershad) জাতীয় পার্টি |
1986 | Bangladeshi nationalism, economic liberalism, secularism, liberalism | GM Quader | Centre-right | |
| WPB | Workers Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি |
1980 | Communism, Marxism-Leninism, Anti-revisionism | 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 | Secularism, Social liberalism | 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 | Islamism | Syed Nazibul Bashar Maizvandary | 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) |
Communism, Marxism, Leninism | Dilip Barua | Left to Far-left | ||
| KSJL | Krishak Sramik Janata League কৃষক শ্রমিক জনতা লীগ |
Socialism, Nationalism, Socialist Democracy | Bangabir Kader Siddique | Centre to Centre left | ||
| CPB | Bangadesher Communist Party বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি |
1971 | Communist, Marxism-Leninism | Mujahidul Islam Selim | Far-left | |
| GP | Ganatantri Party গণতন্ত্রী পার্টি |
Democracy | Md Arash Ali | |||
| NAP | National Awami Party ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি |
1967 | Socialism | Amina Ahmed | ||
| JSD | Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল-জেএসডি |
2002 | Nationalism, Socialism | A.S.M Abdur Rab | Left | |
| ZP | জাকের পার্টি |
Islamism | Mustafa Amir Faisal | Right wing | ||
| BASAD | Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল |
Socialism | Khalekuzzaman | Left-wing | ||
| BJP | Bangladesh Jatiya Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি-বিজেপি |
2001 | Nationalism | Andaleeve Rahman | Centre | |
| BKF | Khilafat Andolan বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন |
1981 | Islamism | Mawlana Ataullah | Right | |
| BML | Bangladesh Muslim League বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ |
1906 | Islamism | Jubeda Kader Chaudhuri | ||
| NPP | ন্যাশনাল পিপলস্ পার্টি (এনপিপি) |
Sheikh Salauddin Salu | ||||
| JUI | Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam জমিয়তে উলামায়ে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ |
Islamism | Sheikh Zia Uddin | |||
| GF | Gano Front গণফ্রন্ট |
1995 | Jakir Hossain | Left wing | ||
| BDNAP | Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি-বাংলাদেশ ন্যাপ |
1971 | Socialism | Jobel Rahman Gani | ||
| BJP | বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি |
M.A. Mukit | ||||
| IFB | Islamic Front Bangladesh ইসলামিক ফ্রন্ট বাংলাদেশ |
Islamism | Bahadur Shah Mujaddedi | |||
| BKP | বাংলাদেশ কল্যাণ পার্টি</smalll> |
Sayad Muhammad Ibrahim | ||||
| IOJ | Islami Oikya Jote ইসলামী ঐক্যজোট |
Islamism | Abul Hasnat Amini | |||
| BKM | Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত মজলিস |
1989 | Islamism | Habibur Rahman | ||
| IAB | ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ |
Islamism | Sayad Rezaul Karim | |||
| BIF | Bangladesh Islami Front | 1990 | Islamism | M.A. Mannan | ||
| BBWP | Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party | 2004 | Communism, Marxism-Leninism | Saiful Haq | ||
| KM | Khelafat Majlish | 1989 | Islamism | Mawlana Mohammad Ishaq | ||
| BML | A.H.M. Kamruzzaman | |||||
| BSM | Abdur Razzak Mullah | |||||
| BNF | Bangladesh Nationalist Front | 2012 | Nationalism | M.A. Abul Kalam Azad | ||
| JGA | Jatiotabadi Ganatantric Andolon | 2017 | Democracy, Nationalism | Bobi Hazzaz | ||
| BC | Bangladesh Congress | 2013 | Kazi Rezaul Hossen | |||
Regional parties[]
- Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti - PCJSS
- United People's Democratic Front - UPDF
Unregistered parties[]
- Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami
- Maoist Bolshevik Reorganisation Movement of the Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party
- National Movement
- Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party
See also[]
- Politics of Bangladesh
- List of political parties by country
References[]
- ^ 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.
- ^ "BNP-led 18-Party Alliance emerges". bdnews24.com. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ "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".
| Current coalitions |
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| Major parties |
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| Minor parties |
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| Regional parties |
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| Defunct parties |
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List of political parties in Asia | |
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| Sovereign states |
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| States with limited recognition |
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| Dependencies and other territories | |
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- Lists of political parties by country
- Bangladesh politics-related lists
- Political parties in Bangladesh
- Lists of organisations based in Bangladesh
- Lists of political parties in Asia