Bangladesh’s upcoming February 12 general election is poised for a direct contest between a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance and another group led by the National Citizens Party (NCP) and Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League (AL) has been barred from participating in the election due to a ban imposed by the interim government following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This exclusion marks the first time since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 that the AL has been formally excluded from national polls after ruling continuously since 2009.
International observers have called for inclusive elections in Bangladesh, but the interim administration, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, has maintained its stance. Hasina, from her exile in India, has raised objections to her party’s exclusion, questioning the fairness and inclusivity of the election process. Meanwhile, the NCP has formed an election pact with nine other parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
The NCP, a newly-formed student-led political party that emerged from the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, has faced criticism for aligning with Jamaat-e-Islami. Some of its leaders have resigned in protest. For Jamaat-e-Islami, this presents an opportunity to assert power in Bangladesh, despite historical controversies surrounding its conservative Islamism and its political activities pre- and post-independence.
