Grand Alliance (Bangladesh)
Coalition of the Bangladesh Awami League and its allies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grand Alliance (Bengali: মহাজোট) was a Bangladeshi big-tent electoral alliance of political parties with the leadership of Awami League. It was formed ahead of the 2008 general election.[2] The alliance was a de facto merger of the 14 Party Alliance with the Jatiya Party and LDP, although the 14 Party Alliance remained active individually. The Grand Alliance was regularly reformed before elections.[3]
Grand Alliance মহাজোট | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Sheikh Hasina |
| Coordinator | Amir Hossain Amu[1] |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Dissolved | 5 August 2024 |
| Headquarters | Dhaka |
| National affiliation | 14 Party Alliance |
14 Party Alliance
There is a common confusion that the 14 Party Alliance and the Grand Alliance were the same. While the 14 Party Alliance is the "idealistic" political alliance between the Awami League and secular-socialist parties, which is active in everyday politics, the Grand Alliance was a larger electoral alliance before elections.[3]
Post-revolution Bangladesh
Following the ouster of the Awami League due to the July Revolution in August 2024 and its subsequent ban, the alliance has fallen into disarray. Many of its top leaders like Rashid Khan Menon and Hasanul Haq Inu were arrested on charges of murder and money laundering. Many members of the parties in the alliance have gone underground out of fear of vigilante mobs, indignant at their collaboration with the oppressive regime.[4][5][6] A petition demanding a ban on the all parties of the Grand Alliance was filed in October 2024 by the student agitators[7] but it was turned down by the Appellate Division.[8]
Parties
| Party | Commencement | Termination | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awami League | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Workers Party of Bangladesh | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Jatiya Party (Manju) | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Bangladesh Tarikat Federation | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Ganatantri Party | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist–Leninist) (Barua) | 2008 | 2024 | |
| Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh | 2018 | 2024 | |
| Jatiya Party (Ershad) | 2018 | 2019[9] | |
| Liberal Democratic Party | 2008 | 2012[10] | |
