Parliamentary elections were held in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026, the first major national elections since the student-led movement toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024. This election took place after the ban of Awami League (Sheikh Hasina’s party) and was the first test of the return of democracy after the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. The main contest in the election was between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance (which included the National Citizen Party or NCP). This election was historic in the history of Bangladesh as new forces emerged for the first time after the GenZ movement, but the results show the return of old politics. The 15 year old supremacy of Jamaat has ended.

BNP’s great comeback and gaining majority

Tariq Rehman’s party returned to power after 20 years, the reason for which is Tariq Rehman. He was in exile in London for 17 years and returned to Dhaka in December 2025 after the death of his mother Khalda Zia. In the elections, BNP and its allies won 216 out of 299 seats. This is more than the two-thirds majority, which gives it the power to easily pass constitutional changes. Tariq Rehman won from Dhaka-17 and Bogra-6 seats and is now on his way to becoming the Prime Minister.

BNP focused on jobs, economic improvement, ending corruption and farmers and youth in the elections. The party exercised restraint after the victory, i.e. did not celebrate, but called for prayers in mosques, temples and churches. Many old Awami League voters moved to BNP because they wanted stability. This is BNP’s biggest demonstration since 2001.

Falling far short of Jamaat-e-Islami’s expectations
The radical Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami tried to make a strong comeback in 2025 after getting the ban lifted by the Supreme Court. He was the leader of the 11-party alliance, which also included NCP. The party gave the slogan of including women and minorities, justice-based governance and ‘New Bangladesh by including all’. For the first time, a Hindu candidate was also fielded. But it was not good. Jamaat and its alliance won only 69-77 seats. This was well below the party’s expectations, although it would now become the main opposition party. Old allegations like role in the 1971 war, protests over women’s rights, violence related to student wing Chhatra Shibir and financial issues influenced voters. Youth, women and minorities mostly moved towards BNP. Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rehman accepted defeat but expressed some dissatisfaction over the process.

Big collapse and electoral failure of Student-Youth Bloc (NCP)

In 2024, a student-led movement ousted Sheikh Hasina from the throne. Hundreds of people died in this and the leader of this movement was called National Citizen Party (NCP). It formed an alliance with Jamaat in the elections. NCP’s leaders were youth like Naheed Islam, who promised new politics, reforms and corruption-free governance. But the results were reversed and NCP got only 5-6 seats. This was a big blow to the GenZ movement of 2024. Many major reasons for this emerged, such as lack of organization, inability to compete with the strong grassroots machinery of BNP and the migration of young voters towards BNP. NCP formed an alliance with Jamaat, but this alienated young and liberal voters.

Overall, what difference did it make to the elections and what will happen next?

This election shows the return of the old political party BNP in Bangladesh, while new forces like Chhatra Bloc and Jamaat have dashed the hopes of Jamaat. Voters have also said yes to constitutional reforms. There will be stability after the formation of BNP government, but Jamaat will remain in opposition. That means this change is taking Bangladesh on the new path of democracy.

The 13th Parliament (Ethnic Parliament) elections are to be held in Bangladesh tomorrow i.e. on 12 February 2026. The security and political participation of minority communities, especially Hindus, has become a big issue in this election. Incidents of attacks and violence on Hindus are happening daily in the country, but this time 80 minority candidates are contesting the elections. Two of these Hindu faces are much discussed, Krishna Nandi and Gobinda Chandra Pramanik. Both of them are contesting elections from different paths and are trying to strengthen the voice of the Hindu community.

10 women included among minority candidates

Of the total 80 minority candidates, 68 have been given tickets by 22 political parties, while 12 are independent. 10 women are also included in these. Bangladesh Communist Party (CPB) has fielded maximum 17 minority candidates. BNP has given 6 minority candidates, namely Gayeshwar Chandra Roy (Dhaka-3), Nitai Roy Chowdhury (Magura-2), Kapil Krishna Mandal (Bagerhat-1), Somnath De (Bagerhat-4), Dipen Dewan (Rangamati) and Sachin Pru (Bandarban). But most of the attention is on Krishna and Gobinda.

Who is Jamaat’s candidate Krishna Nandi?

Krishna Nandy is a Hindu businessman and has been associated with Jamaat-e-Islami since 2003. He is contesting from Khulna-1 seat on Jamaat ticket. This seat covers Hindu dominated areas of Dakop and Batiyaghata. Jamaat-e-Islami is a fundamentalist Islamic party. For the first time in its history, this party has given ticket to a minority. Krishna Nandi is also the president of the Hindu committee of the Jamaat in Dumuria upazila. He said at a rally that if his party came to power, Hindus would get treatment like ‘our brothers and sisters’. This statement is important because Jamaat has often been accused of being anti-Hindu. His candidature is being considered as Jamaat’s strategy to increase its reach to the minority community. There are a total of 8 minority candidates in Khulna-1, which also includes people from the Communist Party and other parties.

Who is independent candidate Gobinda?

Gobinda Chandra Pramanik is the general secretary of Bangladesh National Hindu Mahajot. He is an independent candidate from Gopalganj-3. This seat is close to the birthplace of Sheikh Hasina, which includes Kotalipara and Tungipara. The total voters here are about 3.08 lakh and about 80 percent are minorities. Gobinda’s nomination was initially rejected, but was reinstated after appealing to the Election Commission. He has been working for a long time for the security and rights of the Hindu community. Gobinda said that security is the biggest challenge on the day of voting. His independent fight shows the strength of Hindu Mahajot, a Hindu political organisation.

Why are 2026 elections special for Bangladesh?

This election is special because former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been prevented from contesting the elections. His registration is suspended and his activities are restricted. A total of 60 parties are in the elections. The Hindu community, which constitutes 8-9 percent of the country’s population, is facing violence on a daily basis. In such a situation, these two candidates raise hopes for minority representation. Krishna Nandi’s association with the Jamaat and Gobinda’s independent fight both show different paths. One a compromise with a staunch party, the other an independent voice. Meanwhile, the election campaign has ended yesterday morning. Voting will take place tomorrow and the results will come on the same day. There is concern in the Hindu community that violence may increase, but these candidates show that minorities are becoming active in politics.

Preparations for the 13th Parliament elections are in full swing in Bangladesh. The elections are to be held on February 12, 2026 and the campaign has ended today at 7:30 am. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Tariq Rahman has adopted a new style in this election. Instead of just giving speeches in the traditional manner, he communicated directly with the people. He held 64 rallies in 19 days, where he called people on stage and listened to them, asked questions and answered them.

Tariq included family in election rallies

Tariq Rehman tried to show himself as a ‘family man’. His wife Zubaida Rehman and daughter Jaima Rehman also accompanied him in many rallies. Zubaida did not give a speech, but strengthened the family’s image by being present. Jama participated in programs related to women, youth and weaker sections. Sometimes the family was also seen traveling by rickshaw. Sometimes Tariq would call common people from the audience to the stage, and sometimes he would address them directly from the podium. He listened to the complaints of local people, promised solutions, asked questions and responded to the answers.

The journey of election rallies started from Sylhet

The election campaign started on 22 January 2026 with a rally in Sylhet city. Tariq called ATM Helal, resident of Shantiganj, Sunamganj, from the audience to the stage. Helal talked about the owner of heaven and hell. Tariq asked, ‘Who is the owner of heaven and hell?’ Helal said, ‘Allah.’ Tariq further asked whether anyone other than Allah could give this? The crowd said, ‘No.’ This method was like responding to the ongoing debate on religious issues. Tariq held rallies in places like Sirajganj, Dhaka (Bhashatek), Chittagong, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Bogura and Cumilla. He continued traveling by special bus and helicopter.

Tariq apologized to the public for his mistakes

In his last address on BTV on 10 February, Tariq expressed regret over the mistakes of BNP’s previous tenure. He said that if any unintentional mistake is made then he apologizes wholeheartedly. Now we will learn from the past and create a secure future for the next generation. He said that there is no benefit in merely pointing out the shortcomings of the opponents, but one should work in the interest of the public. Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called it ‘new politics’. He said that calling people on stage, listening to their problems and promising solutions is direct contact. Dhaka University professor SM Shamim Raza said that interactive campaigning is a new dimension due to digital platforms and young voters.

Tariq jumped into politics after mother Jiya’s death

Tariq Rehman is 57 years old. He returned from Britain after 17 years on 20 December 2025 because his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, had died. After this he decided to enter politics and now this is his first election. He is contesting from Dhaka-17 (part of Gulshan, Baridara, Banani, Cantonment) and Bogura-6. Communication experts say this strategy targets youth and first-time voters. There are total 12.77 crore voters in Bangladesh. BNP’s focus is on peace, law and order and tolerance. This campaigning can bring a new change in the electoral politics of Bangladesh.

Foreign Advisor in the interim government of Bangladesh, Tauheed Hussain has given a big statement on relations with India. He said in an interview to BBC that Bangladesh has not taken any step to spoil relations with India. He asked India, ‘What did we do that spoiled the relations?’ Tauheed said that his counterparts in Delhi can be asked whether any strict steps have been taken by Bangladesh or not.

No proof of insecurity of Indians: Tauheed

Tauheed Hussain’s interview has come at a time when India-Bangladesh relations are going through a tense phase. Mohammad Yunus came to power in August 2024 and now parliamentary elections are going to be held in Bangladesh on 12 February 2026. Tauheed Hussain expressed displeasure over India’s decision in which India recalled its diplomats from Dhaka. He said, ‘There is no evidence that we could not protect Indians. In such a situation, we do not like this decision of Delhi.

India should pay attention to its minorities: Tauheed

Tauheed Hussain responded to India’s concern over the security of Hindus and the recent attacks. He said, ‘We do not give statements on actions against minorities in India. I hope that Indian officials also adopt the same policy. If there is any atrocities against our citizens, we have a mechanism to deal with them. It would be better if India takes care of its minorities. We will do our work ourselves.

India-Bangladesh will have to work together: Tauheed

On the state of relations, he said, ‘I don’t know whether the relations are at their lowest level or not, but I think the relations between Bangladesh and India are very important for both the countries. Steps should be taken to improve both. Referring to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, he said that his hope was that she would avoid making such statements which did not match the current situation of Bangladesh, but this did not happen.

On the growing relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan, Tauheed Hussain said that during the previous regime (during Sheikh Hasina’s time), relations with Pakistan were deliberately spoiled. Now some issues are being discussed and efforts are being made to build normal relations. He said, ‘What is wrong in wanting better relations with a country? As a neighboring country, we want normal relations with them, like we want with other countries.

It has been almost one and a half years since the interim government of Muhammad Yunus came to power in Bangladesh, but political turmoil, violence and fundamentalism are increasing in the country. The fundamentalist groups supporting Mohammad Yunus are accusing the government of delaying reforms, not providing justice and secular policies. The murder of Inquilab Manch spokesperson Sharif Usman Hadi has further fueled the violence.

According to experts, now these forces are trying to create instability before the February 2026 elections, due to which attacks on Bangladeshi minorities i.e. Hindus are increasing. According to the UN Human Rights report, more than 2,326 cases were registered from August 2024 to March 2025, which included attacks on temples, property looting and murders.

The reason for increasing fundamentalism in Bangladesh is not only Yunus government but also 5 big villains…

1. Jamaat-e-Islami promoting fundamentalism

This group was banned during the time of Sheikh Hasina, but Yunus removed the ban as soon as he came to government. Now this group is demanding electoral reforms, but is also active in attacks on minorities and anti-India protests. Jamaat-e-Islami has also been accused of being linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. Experts believe that Jamaat-e-Islami will benefit from Hadi’s assassination.

2. Hifazat-e-Islam wants to bring Sharia law

According to the East Asia Forum report, this group is made up of Sunni Islamists and their huge madrassa network and supporters, which works against women’s rights and secular reforms. Hifazat-e-Islam has organized large demonstrations on the proposal of equal property rights for women. The leader of this group, Mamunul Haq, also met Yunus, because he is pressurizing to implement Sharia law in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina had banned this group, but it got freedom in the Yunus government.

3. Hizb-ut-Tahrir waving ISIS flags in Bangladesh

S. According to the report of Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Hizb-ut-Tahrir is expanding rapidly by recruiting Bangladeshi youth through social media and educational institutions. This group was banned in 2009, but the Yunus government liberated it in 2024. This is a group demanding restoration of Caliphate and Sharia. Hizb-ut-Tahrir had organized big demonstrations in Dhaka during Yunus’s tenure in 2024 and also waved ISIS-like flags. The Yunus government is being accused of failure to stop this.

4. Inquilab Manch advocating radical Islamic culture

According to the report of Al Jazeera, this group was established after the student movement of July 2024. Sharif Usman Hadi, a senior leader of Inquilab Manch, was himself a leader with anti-India and fundamentalist views. After Hadi’s assassination, Inquilab Manch threatened to topple the Yunus government. Earlier this group was a supporter of Yunus, but now there is a direct competition between the government and Inquilab Manch. As a result, after Hadi’s death, violence flared up to such an extent that newspaper offices were torched. Inquilab Manch also wants to implement radical Islamic culture in the country.

5. Influence of Mamunul Haq and Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani

Mufti Jashimuddin Rahmani was the leader of an al-Qaeda linked group, who was released during the Yunus government. Rahmani is the chief of Al-Qaeda linked terrorist organization Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). The release of this terrorist has created problems for India, because this terrorist organization is trying to create a Jihadi network with the help of sleeper cells.

Mamunul Haq was jailed for inciting violence, but was released and is now active. Mamunul Haq is considered a leader in Bangladesh who implemented Islamic principles in government policies, advocated Sharia law and carried forward traditional Islamic works.

Groups spreading poison against India

These groups together are pushing for reforms under Sharia law, ban on women’s rights and anti-India slogans. In many reports he has been described as being linked to Pakistan and other foreign powers. Yunus government is constantly being accused that it is not able to control these forces, due to which attacks on minorities are increasing and instability is increasing in the country.