Bangladesh Prepares for 13th Parliamentary Elections: BNP Announces Candidates with Tarique Rahman Set to Lead

Tarique Rahman is positioned to become Prime Minister if his party secures victory in the upcoming election

Bangladesh has moved closer to its electoral process with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a major political contender, announcing its candidates for the February parliamentary elections. This will mark the country's 13th parliamentary election since independence.

The upcoming national election will see candidates competing for 300 parliamentary seats as Bangladesh transitions back to democratically elected governance. The BNP has released a list of 237 candidates who will contest in the National Parliament elections.

This announcement carries significant weight as former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia appears on the candidate list. The BNP chairperson will contest from three constituencies: Feni-1, Bogura-7, and Dinajpur-3. Her son and acting BNP chairman, Tarique Rahman, will run for the Bogura-6 seat. The party's secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has been nominated for the Thakurgaon-1 constituency.

Tarique Rahman has been leading the party's election messaging and is widely expected to assume the role of Prime Minister should the BNP win, particularly given his mother Khaleda Zia's ongoing health concerns.

Rahman has been living abroad following multiple convictions and prison sentences under the Sheikh Hasina government. He is anticipated to return to Bangladesh before the elections take place.

In December 2024, a High Court acquitted Rahman, former minister Lutfozzaman Babar, and other defendants in two cases related to the August 21, 2004 grenade attack. This attack targeted Sheikh Hasina, then opposition leader, who narrowly escaped while 24 people were killed when grenades were thrown during her "rally against terrorism."

The BNP served as the primary opposition party during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's administration, which ended abruptly in August 2024 when her government was overthrown, forcing her to flee the country.

Since then, Bangladesh has operated under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has been banned and prohibited from participating in the country's elections.

Another party returning to the electoral arena is Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, a hardline Islamist organization. Previously allied with the BNP, Jamaat was banned under Sheikh Hasina's government through anti-terror legislation due to alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

Following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina's regime after violent protests last year, the ban on Jamaat was lifted, and its registration with the election commission was reinstated, allowing it to contest elections once again.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Ameer (President) Shafiqur Rahman has stated that his party's final list of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary election will be announced "in due time" but has not ruled out potential alliances. However, the BNP and Jamaat currently disagree on several key policy issues.

India has consistently advocated for elections in Bangladesh and a return to governance based on electoral mandate.