Bangladesh is on the verge of holding its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in late summer 2024, an election that is seen as a turning point in the country’s political developments after widespread student protests and the ouster of the long-serving prime minister.
According to published information, the main competition in these elections is between the two main currents of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Khaleda Zia, which after years on the sidelines is now one of the main contenders for power, and the 11-party coalition led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, which also includes the Bangladesh Citizens’ National Party (NCP), formed by young people and key activists of the anti-Hasina protests.
As an emerging force and representative of the young generation of protesters, the NCP played an important role in mobilizing public opinion against Hasina and is now seeking to convert street protests into parliamentary power in an alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
