{"id":6242,"date":"2026-02-11T00:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=6242"},"modified":"2026-02-11T00:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T18:34:27","slug":"which-parties-are-contesting-the-13th-national-election-thursday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=6242","title":{"rendered":"Which parties are contesting the 13th national election Thursday?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After 19 gruelling days of sleepless campaigning, horse-trading over seats, fractured alliances, and frantic last-minute deals, Bangladesh&#8217;s political parties now await the harvest in Thursday&#8217;s election\u2014a deeply controversial vote and illegal referendum marred by the illegal exclusion of the Awami League, widespread rigging allegations, and a fractured field dominated by opportunists and Islamists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Representation of the People Order (RPO) amendments have upended traditional dynamics: No more big-party symbols for allies, forcing many small outfits to dissolve, resign from leadership, or merge into larger camps. The result? A chaotic patchwork of coalitions, solo runs, and independents (275 strong) vying for 300 seats amid boycotts, bans, and backroom betrayals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u09e7\u09e8 \u09ab\u09c7\u09ac\u09cd\u09b0\u09c1\u09df\u09be\u09b0\u09bf: \u09aa\u09c2\u09b0\u09cd\u09ac\u09a8\u09bf\u09b0\u09cd\u09a7\u09be\u09b0\u09bf\u09a4 \u09aa\u09be\u09a4\u09be\u09a8\u09cb \u0996\u09c7\u09b2\u09be\u09b0 \u09a8\u09bf\u09b0\u09cd\u09ac\u09be\u099a\u09a8\u2014\u09b6\u09c7\u0996 \u09b9\u09be\u09b8\u09bf\u09a8\u09be | 12 February Election\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OOUuSaYmTlc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OOUuSaYmTlc&amp;pp=ygUPdm9pY2Ugb2YgYXJhZmF00gcJCZQKAYcqIYzv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Awami League<\/a> is absent\u2014banned under draconian laws, deregistered, and calling for a nationwide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.banglatribune.com\/politics\/other-politics\/933398\/%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%9B%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boycott <\/a>alongside allies like Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD), Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, and the 14-party alliance. Bangabir Kader Siddiqui&#8217;s Krishak Sramik Janata League also sits it out, leaving a gaping void where the nation&#8217;s founding secular force once stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Main Battleground<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-BNP-led alliance (Sheaf of Paddy symbol): The BNP, under Tarique Rahman, fields 291 candidates on the iconic sheaf (one cancelled for loan default in Comilla-4). This is the nominal frontrunner in a field stripped of real competition. A handful of allies contest under their own symbols: Revolutionary Workers Party&#8217;s Saiful Haq (hammer, Dhaka-12), Ganosamhati Andolon&#8217;s Jonayed Saki (sickle, Brahmanbaria-6), Gano Adhikar Parishad&#8217;s Nurul Haque Nur (truck, Patuakhali-3), and Bangladesh Jatiya Party&#8217;s Andaliv Rahman Partho (bullock cart, Bhola-1). Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam runs four on date palm (Sylhet-5, Nilphamari-1, Brahmanbaria-2, Narayanganj-4). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=6231\">Sajeeb Wazed: This election is illegitimate, won\u2019t resolve instability<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=6237\">Postal Ballot Sham: Jamaat\u2019s filthy blueprint to rig farcical election, illegal referendum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=6193\">Sheikh Hasina Sangram Parishad demands halt to sham election, referendum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several leaders from smaller parties dissolved their outfits or quit posts to grab BNP tickets and the sheaf: Syed Ehsan ul Huda (Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, Kishoreganj-3), Shahadat Hossain Selim (LDP faction chairman), Redwan Ahmed (former LDP GS, Cumilla-7), and Rashed Khan (former Gono Adhikar GS, Jhenaidah-4). Controversial NDM chairman Bobby Hajjaj (son of arms dealer Musa bin Shamsher alias Razakar Nula Musa of Faridpur) contests Dhaka-13 on his own after the BNP snub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Three former &#8220;like-minded&#8221; allies\u2014ASM Abdur Rob&#8217;s JSD, Mahmudur Rahman Manna&#8217;s Nagorik Oikya, and Dr. Mostafizur Rahman Iran&#8217;s Bangladesh Labour Party\u2014bolted over seat disputes, with Nagorik Oikya contesting 11 seats solo after Manna&#8217;s fury over Bogura-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Jamaat-led 11-Party Alliance: The Islamist powerhouse Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, under Shafiqur Rahman, dominates with 229 candidates on the scale symbol. This big-tent coalition\u2014packed with Jamaat proxies and opportunists\u2014includes the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), AB Party, Bobby Hajjaj&#8217;s Bangladesh Development Party, Col. Oli Ahmed&#8217;s LDP faction, Mamunul Haque&#8217;s Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, Nizam-e-Islami Party faction, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, and Bangladesh Labour Party (added after Islami Andolan Bangladesh bolted). Total: Contesting ~298 seats in a push to capitalise on the Awami League vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5920\">Interview With AP: Sheikh Hasina denounces election as fundamentally flawed<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5871\">Sheikh Hasina: BNP should unban Awami League if voted to power<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5876\">Sheikh Hasina reveals her priorities after return to Bangladesh<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other Notable Players<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Islami Andolan Bangladesh (Chormonai Pir): Broke from the Jamaat alliance over seat wrangling; contesting the highest solo tally at ~258 seats (third-highest vote-getter in 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Jatiya Party (GM Quader faction): Running independently in 198 seats with the plough symbol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-National Democratic Front (NDF): Splinter from Jatiya Party led by Anisul Islam Mahmud faction; an 18-party ragtag alliance including Jatiya Party (Ershad), Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Janata Party Bangladesh, Trinamool BNP, and others\u2014fielding ~206 candidates total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Democratic United Front (leftist bloc): Nine progressive\/left parties\u2014CPB, BASAD, Democratic Revolutionary Party, Revolutionary Communist League, Socialist Movement Bangladesh, BASAD (Marxist), Bangladesh JASAD, BASAD-Mahbub, Sonar Bangla Party\u2014plus Oikya NAP and Ganamukti Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>-Greater Sunni Alliance: Three Sufi-oriented parties\u2014Bangladesh Islami Front (25 seats), Bangladesh Supreme Party (25), Islamic Front Bangladesh (20)\u2014contesting 70 seats combined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 19 gruelling days of sleepless campaigning, horse-trading over seats, fractured alliances, and frantic last-minute deals, Bangladesh&#8217;s political parties now await the harvest in Thursday&#8217;s election\u2014a deeply controversial vote and&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,646,1207,20,42],"tags":[77,46,51,913,50,54,65,56,85,1318,63,64],"class_list":["post-6242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime","category-culture","category-emergency","category-news","category-politics","tag-awami-league","tag-bnp","tag-election","tag-election-commission-ec","tag-interim-government","tag-jamaat-e-islami","tag-mobocracy","tag-muhammad-yunus","tag-national-citizen-party-ncp","tag-referendum","tag-sheikh-hasina","tag-yunus-gang"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6242"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6244,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6242\/revisions\/6244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}