Bangladesh is just a week away from its most important elections, the first since the August 2024 student revolt and the dramatic fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. The country is preparing to vote for a 300-seat assembly to select its next government and leader.
votes are also counted Scheduled for Thursday, February 12, On the day of voting itself.
Ahead of the general elections, the political landscape of Bangladesh further changed when former Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia died on December 30, 2025. His death led to the return of his son Tariq Rahman, who came to Dhaka after 18 years of self-imposed exile in London.
BNP is in the fray in the 2026 elections along with other major parties including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (JMI), National Citizen Party (NCP), Jatiya Party (Ershad)-led National Democratic Front (NDF), Nizam-e-Islam Party.
Among these, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is a major political player in the country and the upcoming general elections.
What is JMI?
Jamaat-e-Islami was founded in India in 1941 by Hyderabad-born Islamic philosopher and scholar Abdul Ala Maududi. He created JeI as an Islamic organization, which later transformed into a socio-political organization.
Today Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest Islamic political party in Bangladesh. From its inception in the Indian subcontinent, the Jamaat evolved from an inter-regional Islamic organization to a major political force in Bangladesh.
Jamaat-e-Islami played a controversial role during the 1971 liberation war. Seeking to preserve the idea of a united Muslim community, the Jamaat supported the Pakistan Army in its fight against Bangladeshi freedom fighters, according to ORF Online.
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However, the nationalist movement led by Sheikh Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not give up. Bangladesh finally achieved independence on December 16, 1971. Many Jamaat-e-Islami leaders who supported the Pakistani army and survived the war fled to Pakistan.
Soon after independence, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh in January 1972. He banned Jamaat-e-Islami the same year as part of his effort to curb extremist religious parties.
Rahman and most of his family members were assassinated in a military coup in August 1975. This was followed by a series of military takeovers. Amidst this turmoil, Major General Ziaur Rahman became President of Bangladesh in 1977. He reinstated Jamaat-e-Islami through the fifth amendment to the Constitution, which removed provisions related to secularism and socialism and paved the way for religion-based political parties.
Over the next few decades, the Jamaat emerged as a major political force, supported by Ziaur Rehman and later his wife, Khaleda Zia of the BNP.
Khaleda Zia became Prime Minister for the first time in 1991, and during her tenure Ghulam Azad, a prominent JEI leader, got his citizenship back.
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In 2001, Jamaat-e-Islami formally joined the BNP-led coalition. However, seven years later, when the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League returned to power, the Jamaat’s influence declined. Sheikh Hasina established the International Criminal Tribunal in 2009 and amended the 1973 Act.
Despite protests against the tribunal’s proceedings, several Jamaat leaders, including Abdul Quader Mollah, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid, Motiur Rahman Nizami and Mir Qasim Ali, were prosecuted and executed.
The political strength of the party weakened significantly, leaving it marginalized for about 15 years.
In 2024, the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami was lifted following the student revolt and the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lifted all restrictions on the party in August 2024, allowing it to contest the 2026 elections.
Since the lifting of the ban, the party, currently led by Shafiqur Rahman, has reorganized itself and has emerged as a major contender in the 2026 general elections.
Jamaat-e-Islami is contesting the elections against BNP as part of an 11-party alliance led by National Citizen Party, NCP and JEI leaders.
NCP is led by student leaders Naheed Islam, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s leadership includes chief Shafiqur Rehman, deputy chief Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and general secretary Mir Ghulam Porwar.
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Other parties in the 11-party alliance include Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Movement, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Development Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, NDP, Liberal Democratic Party, LDP, AB Party and Bangladesh Labor Party.
Why is JMI a major player?
Jamaat-e-Islami remains one of the most influential political organizations in Bangladesh, known for its disciplined organization and committed support base despite years of crackdown.
The fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government prompted the Jamaat to immediately align itself with the BNP.
Jamaat deputy chief Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told Al Jazeera, “For the past 55 years, Bangladesh has been ruled mainly by two parties, the Awami League and the BNP. People have long experience with both, and many feel disappointed. They want a new political force to rule.”
According to a recent survey jointly conducted by Projection BD, International Institute of Law and Diplomacy, IILD, Jagoron Foundation and Narrative, a tight contest is predicted between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in the upcoming national elections.
survey, Prothom Alo, cited by English, found that 34.7% of voters intended to vote for the BNP, while 33.6% were in favor of the Jamaat. The NCP reportedly has the support of 7.1% of the voters, and the Islami Andolan Bangladesh has the support of 3.1% of the voters.
Tahir also told Al Jazeera that the party has about 20 million supporters, of whom about 250,000 are registered members known as “Rukon”, including women.
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The party has not only gained popularity among voters, but has also sought to ease fears about the Islamist-led government.
Taher said, “When we come to power, we will accept and implement the agreed reforms. Where new laws are needed, for example, to ensure good governance and eliminate corruption, we will examine them at that time.”
He said that constitutional reforms, rather than ideological enforcement, would form the basis of governance.
In January, Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rehman had also said that his party was ready to join the unity government.
Rahman said Jamaat-e-Islami is trying to increase its baseAccording to Reuters, there must be a shared agenda for any unity government beyond conservative constituencies and anti-corruption.
Amid concerns over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Jamaat has also sought to expand its appeal beyond its Muslim base. For the first time in its history, the party has fielded a Hindu candidate for the Khulna-1 constituency.
According to The Daily Star report, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dumuria Upazila Hindu Committee president Krishna Nandi is contesting from Khulna seat.
According to a geopolitical analyst quoted by Al Jazeera, many Bangladeshi voters today are more religious than in the past.
Asif Bin Ali, a geopolitical analyst and doctoral fellow at Georgia State University in the US, said, “A large part of Bangladeshi society is moving in a more Islamic direction, but this is not the same as handing over the state to conservative Islamic leadership.”
Recent polling shows that BNP holds a slight lead over Jamaat. However, according to International Crisis Group as quoted by ANI, Jamaat is on track to surpass its previous best performance in 1991, when it had won 18 seats with about 12% of the votes.
A report by the International Crisis Group also said that Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman has emerged as one of Bangladesh’s strongest political actors and described the party’s social media campaign as “unmatched”.
Manifesto of Jamaat-e-Islami
In its election manifesto, Jamaat-e-Islami has promised to maintain “constructive and cooperative” relations with neighboring countries, including India.
According to ANI, the manifesto issued on February 4 said, “Peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with neighboring and surrounding countries, including India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Thailand, will be established on the basis of mutual respect and impartiality.”
It also said that the party would work to enhance Bangladesh’s global reputation and the strength of its passport.
“Strengthening relations with the countries of the Muslim world will be a key foreign policy priority,” the manifesto said.
The party also said it would actively engage with the United Nations and other international organizations and reaffirmed its commitment to participate in regional groupings such as SAARC and ASEAN.
