List of political parties in Bangladesh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991, Bangladesh has a fading two-party system, which means that two political parties dominate the general elections, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of another party. Since 2026, two dominant parties are Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
History
The current parliamentary system in the country was established in 1991 and is modelled after the Westminster system. Before this, the nation experienced a period of military rule from 1975 to 1990. In response to demands from the two major political parties, the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a caretaker government was introduced in 1990 following the resignation of military ruler Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed was appointed as the Chief Advisor and oversaw the 1991 general election.
The caretaker government is led by a Chief Advisor who holds powers similar to those of a regular prime minister, except for defense matters. The Advisors function in roles akin to ministers. Following the 1991 elections, caretaker governments also facilitated the elections in 1996, 2001, and 2008. Initially intended to support the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the caretaker system was institutionalized in 1996 by the Sixth Parliament due to increasing mistrust between the BNP and AL.
In 2011, the Awami League, then in power, abolished the caretaker government system. This decision has since been a significant point of contention between Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, contributing to ongoing political disputes.[1]
Composition of the Parliament
The Jatiya Sangsad is made up of 350 members, 300 members were elected by direct votes, and 50 women members were elected by the parties according to their popular voting percentage in the general election.[2]
| Party | Leader | Ideology | Political position |
MPs | Local governments | Alliance | Parliamentary position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cities | Municipalities | Villages | ||||||||
| Bangladesh Nationalist Party | Tarique Rahman | Centre to centre-right |
208 / 296 |
1 / 1 |
vacant | BNP+ | Government | |||
| Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami | Shafiqur Rahman | Far-right | 68 / 296 |
vacant | 11 Parties | Opposition | ||||
| National Citizen Party | Nahid Islam | Centre | 6 / 296 |
vacant | 11 Parties | Opposition | ||||
| Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis | Mamunul Haque | Far-right | 2 / 296 |
vacant | 11 Parties | Opposition | ||||
| Islami Andolan Bangladesh | Syed Rezaul Karim | Far-right | 1 / 296 |
vacant | N/a | Opposition | ||||
| Khelafat Majlis | Abdul Basit Azad | Far-right | 1 / 296 |
vacant | 11 Parties | Opposition | ||||
| Gono Odhikar Parishad | Nurul Haque Nur | Centre | 1 / 296 |
vacant | BNP+ | Government | ||||
| Ganosanhati Andolan | Zonayed Saki | Egalitarianism | 1 / 296 |
vacant | BNP+ | Government | ||||
| Bangladesh Jatiya Party | Andaleeve Rahman | Bangladeshi nationalism | 1 / 296 |
vacant | BNP+ | Confidence and supply | ||||
| Independent politicians | N/a | N/a | N/a | 7 / 296 |
vacant | N/a | N/a | |||
Coalitions
Democratic United Front
The Democratic United Front (Bengali: গণতান্ত্রিক যুক্তফ্রন্ট) is a coalition of ten left-wing political parties. It was formed on 29 November 2025.[3] Four of the member parties – the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), and the Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal – are registered with the Bangladesh Election Commission. The remaining six parties are unregistered.[4]
National Democratic Front
The National Democratic Front (Bengali: জাতীয় গণতান্ত্রিক ফ্রন্ট, romanised: Jātīẏô Gôṇôtāntrik Phrônṭ, abbreviated: NDF) is a Bangladeshi multi-party political alliance led by the Anisul faction of the Jatiya Party (Ershad) and the Jatiya Party (Manju). It was founded on 8 December 2025, ahead of the 2026 general election.[5][6][7]
11 Party Alliance
The 11 Party Alliance (Bengali: ১১ দলীয় জোট), simply referred to as the 11 Parties, is a big tent electoral alliance of eleven political parties. The alliance is led by the Jamaat-e-Islami. The parties competed in the 2026 general election against the 10 party coalition of BNP.[8][9][10]
The Islami Andolan Bangladesh withdrew from the alliance, expressing dissatisfaction with the seat agreement.[11][12]
Defunct Coalitions
Grand Alliance
The Grand Alliance (Bengali: মহাজোট) was an alliance of political parties in Bangladesh that was formed in 2008. It consist 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) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh.
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 was a Bangladeshi big tent political coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).[13] It was originally formed as the 18 Party Alliance on 18 April 2012 in Dhaka, extending its predecessor the 4 Party Alliance.[14] The 18 Party Alliance was formed in an effort to strengthen the opposition's demands for restoring the caretaker government system used between 1996 and 2008. The main rival of this alliance is the Grand Alliance, led by Awami League, which came into power after the election in 2008.
Ganatantra Manch
Ganatantra Manch (Bengali: গণতন্ত্র মঞ্চ) was a political alliance consisting of six political parties in Bangladesh. The alliance announced its formation on 8 August 2024[15][16][17] and consisted of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab), the Nagorik Oikko, the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, the Bhasani Anusari Parishad, the Rastro Songskar Andolon and the Ganosanhati Andolan.[18][19] The Gono Odhikar Parishad was initially with the alliance, but in May 2023, they left the alliance. The coalition effectively ceased to function after Rashtra Sanskar Andolon and several allied parties withdrew and began pursuing a new alliance with National Citizen Party.[20]
Left Democratic Alliance
The Left Democratic Alliance is an alliance of six leftist political parties including Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh.[21]
United Front
The United Front was a coalition of political parties in East Bengal that contested and won Pakistan's first provincial general election to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. The coalition consisted of the Awami Muslim League, the Krishak Praja Party, the Ganatantri Dal (Democratic Party), and Nizam-e-Islam.
Registered parties
These are all the parties that are currently registered under Election Commission.[22]
| No. | Name | Founded | Symbol | Flag | Leader | Ideology | Political position | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LDP | Liberal Democratic Party লিবারেল ডেমোক্রেটিক পার্টি |
2006 | _Election_Symbol.png) |
_Emblem_Flag.svg) |
Oli Ahmed | Economic liberalism National conservatism |
Centre-right | |
| 2 | JP-M | Jatiya Party (Manju) জাতীয় পার্টি (মঞ্জু) |
1999 |  |
Anwar Hossain Manju | Bangladeshi nationalism Conservatism |
Centre-right | ||
| 3 | BSD-ML | Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal বাংলাদেশের সাম্যবাদী দল |
1973 |  |
.png) |
Dilip Barua | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
Far-left | |
| 4 | KSJL | Krishak Sramik Janata League কৃষক শ্রমিক জনতা লীগ |
1999 |  |
 |
Abdul Kader Siddique | Mujibism | ||
| 5 | CPB | Communist Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি |
1968 |  |
 |
Shah Alam | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Far-left | |
| 7 | BNP | Bangladesh Nationalist Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল |
1978 |  |
 |
Tarique Rahman | Conservatism Liberalism Economic liberalism |
Centre to centre-right | |
| 8 | GP | Ganatantri Party গণতন্ত্রী পার্টি |
1990 |  |
 |
Md. Arash Ali | Secularism | ||
| 9 | NAP | National Awami Party ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি |
1967 | .svg){kind=small} |
.png) |
Amina Ahmed | Socialism | Left-wing | |
| 10 | WPB | Workers Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি |
1980 |  |
Rashed Khan Menon | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Far-left | ||
| 11 | BDB | Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh বিকল্পধারা বাংলাদেশ |
2004 |  |
Bangladeshi nationalism Conservatism |
Centre | |||
| 12 | JP-E | Jatiya Party (Ershad) জাতীয় পার্টি (এরশাদ) |
1986 |  |
 |
GM Quader | Bangladeshi nationalism Conservatism |
Centre-right | |
| 13 | JASAD | Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল |
1972 |  |
.png) |
Hasanul Haq Inu | Bangladeshi nationalism[23] | Centre-left | |
| 14 | BJI | Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami বাংলাদেশ জামায়াতে ইসলামী |
1948 |  |
 |
Shafiqur Rahman | Far-right[24] | ||
| 15 | JSD | Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল |
2002 |  |
 |
A. S. M. Abdur Rab | Socialism | Left-wing | |
| 16 | ZP | Zaker Party জাকের পার্টি |
1989 |  |
Mustafa Amir Faisal | Sufism | Right-wing | ||
| 17 | SPB | Socialist Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল |
1980 |  |
 |
Bazlur Rashid Firoz | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Far-left | |
| 18 | BJP | Bangladesh Jatiya Party বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি |
2001 | .png){kind=small} |
 |
Andaleeve Rahman | Bangladeshi nationalism | Centre | |
| 19 | BTF | Bangladesh Tarikat Federation বাংলাদেশ তরিকত ফেডারেশন |
2005 | Syed Najibul Bashar | Sufism (Maizbhandarism) Secularism |
Right-wing | |||
| 20 | BKF | Khilafat Andolan বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত আন্দোলন |
1981 |  |
 |
Habibullah Miazi | Islamism | Far-right | |
| 21 | BML | Bangladesh Muslim League বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ |
1906 |  |
 |
Mohsin Rashid | Muslim nationalism | Far-right | |
| 22 | NPP | National People's Party ন্যাশনাল পিপলস্ পার্টি |
2007 |  |
_flag.png) |
Sheikh Salauddin Salu | Bangladeshi nationalism | Centre-left | |
| 23 | JUI | Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh জমিয়তে উলামায়ে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ |
1972 |  |
 |
Ubaydullah Faruq | Islamism | Far-right[25] | |
| 24 | GF | Gano Forum গণফোরাম |
1992 |  |
Subrata Chowdhury | Secularism | Centre | ||
| 25 | GF | Gano Front গণফ্রন্ট |
1995 |  |
_Flag.png) |
Md. Akmal Hossain | Democratic socialism Secularism |
Left-wing | |
| 27 | BNAP | Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bhasani) বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনাল আওয়ামী পার্টি-বাংলাদেশ ন্যাপ |
2006 | _-_The_Noun_Project.svg) |
 |
Jebel Rahman Ghaani | Socialism | Left-wing | |
| 28 | BJP | Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Mukit) বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় পার্টি |
2003 | M. A. Mukit | |||||
| 30 | IFB | Islamic Front Bangladesh ইসলামিক ফ্রন্ট বাংলাদেশ |
1990 |  |
Bahadur Shah Mujaddedi | Mujaddedism | Far-right | ||
| 31 | BKP | Bangladesh Kalyan Party বাংলাদেশ কল্যাণ পার্টি |
2007 |  |
 |
Syed Muhammad Ibrahim | Islamic democracy Bangladeshi nationalism Economic liberalism |
Centre-right | |
| 32 | IOJ | Islami Oikya Jote ইসলামী ঐক্যজোট |
1990 |  |
Abdul Qadir | Islamism | Far-right | ||
| 33 | BKM | Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis বাংলাদেশ খেলাফত মজলিস |
1989 |  |
 |
Mamunul Haque | Islamism | Far-right[26] | |
| 34 | IAB | Islami Andolan Bangladesh ইসলামী আন্দোলন বাংলাদেশ |
1987 |  |
 |
Syed Rezaul Karim | Islamism Islamic fundamentalism |
Far-right[27] | |
| 35 | BIF | Bangladesh Islami Front বাংলাদেশ ইসলামী ফ্রন্ট |
1990 |  |
 |
M. A. Matin | Islamic fundamentalism | Far-right | |
| 36 | JAGPA | Jatiya Ganotantrik Party জাতীয় গণতান্ত্রিক পার্টি-জাগপা |
1980 |  |
 |
Centre-right | |||
| 37 | BBWP | Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের বিপ্লবী ওয়ার্কার্স পার্টি |
2004 |  |
 |
Saif Ul Haque | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Far-left | |
| 38 | KM | Khelafat Majlis খেলাফত মজলিস |
1989 |  |
 |
Abdul Basit Azad | Islamism | Far-right[28] | |
| 40 | BML | Bangladesh Muslim League-BML বাংলাদেশ মুসলিম লীগ-বিএমএল |
1982 | A. H. M. Kamruzzaman | Muslim nationalism | ||||
| 41 | Muktijote | Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote বাংলাদেশ সাংস্কৃতিক মুক্তিজোট |
2000 | .svg){kind=small} |
 |
Abu Layes Munna | |||
| 42 | BNF | Bangladesh Nationalist Front বাংলাদেশ ন্যাশনালিস্ট ফ্রন্ট |
2012 |  |
 |
M. A. Abul Kalam Azad | Secularism | ||
| 43 | NDM | Nationalist Democratic Movement জাতীয়তাবাদী গণতান্ত্রিক আন্দোলন |
2017 |  |
 |
Bobby Hajjaj | Bangladeshi nationalism | ||
| 44 | BC | Bangladesh Congress বাংলাদেশ কংগ্রেস |
2013 |  |
 |
Kazi Rezaul Hossain | Economic liberalism | Centre-right | |
| 45 | Trinomool BNP |
Trinomool BNP তৃণমূল বিএনপি |
2015 | _-_Bangladeshi_Election_Symbol.svg){kind=small} |
 |
Antara Selima Huda | Grassroots Democracy | Centre-right | |
| 46 | Insaniyat | Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh ইনসানিয়াত বিপ্লব বাংলাদেশ |
2010 | .svg) |
 |
Allama Imam Hayat | |||
| 47 | BJSAD | Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল-জাসদ |
2023 |  |
 |
Sharif Nurul Ambia | Socialism | Left-wing | |
| 48 | BNM | Bangladesh Nationalist Movement বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী আন্দোলন |
2023 |  |
 |
Abdur Rahman | Bangladeshi nationalism | ||
| 49 | BSP | Bangladesh Supreme Party বাংলাদেশ সুপ্রিম পার্টি |
2019 |  |
 |
Sayed Saifuddin Ahmed | Sufism (Maizbhandarism) | Right-wing | |
| 50 | AB Party |
Amar Bangladesh Party আমার বাংলাদেশ পার্টি |
2020 |  |
 |
Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan Monju | Far-right[29] | ||
| 51 | GOP | Gono Odhikar Parishad গণঅধিকার পরিষদ-জিওপি |
2021 |  |
 |
Nurul Haque Nur | Progressivism | Centre | |
| 52 | NO | Nagorik Oikko নাগরিক ঐক্য |
2012 |  |
 |
Mahmudur Rahman Manna | Centre | ||
| 53 | GSA | Ganosanhati Andolan গণসংহতি আন্দোলন |
2002 |  |
 |
Zonayed Saki | Egalitarianism | ||
| 54 | BDP | Bangladesh Development Party বাংলাদেশ ডেভেলপমেন্ট পার্টি |
2022 |  |
 |
Anwarul Islam Chand | Centre-right | ||
| 55 | BMJP | Bangladesh Minority Janata Party বাংলাদেশ মাইনরিটি জনতা পার্টি |
2017 | Sukriti Kumar Mondal | Minority interests | ||||
| 56 | NCP | National Citizen Party জাতীয় নাগরিক পার্টি |
2025 |  |
 |
Nahid Islam | Centre or Right-wing[30] | ||
| 57 | BLP | Bangladesh Labour Party বাংলাদেশ লেবার পার্টি |
1974 |  |
 |
Mostafizur Rahman Iran | Bangladeshi nationalism | Centre | |
| 58 | BRP | Bangladesh Republican Party বাংলাদেশ রিপাবলিকান পার্টি |
2014 |  |
 |
K. M. Abu Hanif Hridoy | |||
| 59 | SPBM | Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল (মার্কসবাদী) |
2013 | .jpg){kind=small} |
|
Mubinul Haider Chowdhury | Communism Marxism-Leninism |
Far-left | |
| 60 | JD | Janotar Dol জনতার দল |
2025 |  |
Md. Shamim Kamal | ||||
| 61 | AD | Amjanatar Dol আমজনতার দল |
2025 | .svg){kind=icon} |
Tarek Rahman | ||||
| 62 | BEP | Bangladesh Equal Right Party বাংলাদেশ সমঅধিকার পার্টি |
2025 |  |
|||||
| 63 | BNIP | Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party বাংলাদেশ নেজামে ইসলাম পার্টি |
2025 |  |
 |
Sarwar Kamal Azizi | Islamism | Far-right[25] | |
Regional parties
| 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 | |
| PCJSS-MN Larma | Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (MN Larma) | 2007 | Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts | Juddho Chakma | Left-wing | |
| UPDF-Democratic | United People's Democratic Front (Democratic) | 2017 | Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts | Tapan Jyoti Chakma | Left-wing | |
Outlawed parties
| Name | Founded | Ideology | Leader | Political position | Legal status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awami League | 1949 | Sheikh Hasina | Big tent | Suspended | ||
| Purba Banglar Communist Party | 1968 | Tipu Biswas | Far-left | Banned | [31] | |
| Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party | 1971 | Anwar Kabir | Far-left | Banned | [32] | |
| Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League | 1975 | Mujibism | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | Big tent | Banned | [33] |
| Hizb ut-Tahrir | 2000 | Ata Abu Rashta (global) | Far-right | Outlawed | [34] | |
| Maoist Bolshevik Reorganization Movement of the Purba Bangla Sarbahara Party | 2001 | Far-left | Outlawed | [35][36] | ||
| Kuki-Chin National Front | 2008 | Kuki-Chin autonomy | Nathan Bom | Banned | [37][38] |
Unregistered parties
- Bangladesh Freedom Party
- Bangladesh Justice Party
- Bangladesh Social Democratic Party
- Bangladesh Popular Party
- Bangladesh National Justice Party
- Krishak Sramik Party
- National Revolutionary Council
- Nation State Movement
- Bangala Saltanat Harakat
- Muslim Bangali Resistance Council
