From the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991, Bangladesh has a fading two-party system, which means that two political parties dominate the general elections, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of another party. Since 2026, two dominant parties are Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

History The current parliamentary system in the country was established in 1991 and is modelled after the Westminster system. Before this, the nation experienced a period of military rule from 1975 to 1990. In response to demands from the two major political parties, the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a caretaker government was introduced in 1990 following the resignation of military ruler Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Chief Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed was appointed as the Chief Advisor and oversaw the 1991 general election.

The caretaker government is led by a Chief Advisor who holds powers similar to those of a regular prime minister, except for defense matters. The Advisors function in roles akin to ministers. Following the 1991 elections, caretaker governments also facilitated the elections in 1996, 2001, and 2008. Initially intended to support the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the caretaker system was institutionalized in 1996 by the Sixth Parliament due to increasing mistrust between the BNP and AL.

In 2011, the Awami League, then in power, abolished the caretaker government system. This decision has since been a significant point of contention between Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, contributing to ongoing political disputes.

Composition of the Parliament The Jatiya Sangsad is made up of 350 members, 300 members were elected by direct votes, and 50 women members were elected by the parties according to their popular voting percentage in the general election.

+PartyLeaderIdeologyPoliticalpositionMPsLocal governmentsAllianceParliamentarypositionCitiesUpazilaMunicipalitiesVillagesTarique RahmanCentre tocentre-rightvacantvacantBNP+Shafiqur RahmanRight-wing to far-rightvacantvacant11 PartiesNahid IslamCentrevacantvacant11 PartiesMamunul HaqueFar-rightvacantvacant11 PartiesSyed Rezaul KarimFar-rightvacantvacantAbdul Basit AzadFar-rightvacantvacant11 PartiesNurul Haque NurCentrevacantvacantBNP+Zonayed SakiEgalitarianismvacantvacantBNP+Andaleeve RahmanBangladeshi nationalismvacantvacantBNP+vacantvacant

Coalitions Democratic United Front

The Democratic United Front () is a coalition of ten left-wing political parties. It was formed on 29 November 2025. Four of the member parties – the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), and the Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal – are registered with the Bangladesh Election Commission. The remaining six parties are unregistered.

National Democratic Front

The National Democratic Front (Bengali: জাতীয় গণতান্ত্রিক ফ্রন্ট, romanised: Jātīẏô Gôṇôtāntrik Phrônṭ, abbreviated: NDF) is a Bangladeshi multi-party political alliance led by the Anisul faction of the Jatiya Party (Ershad) and the Jatiya Party (Manju). It was founded on 8 December 2025, ahead of the 2026 general election.

11 Party Alliance

The 11 Party Alliance (), also simply referred to as the 11 Parties, is a major right-wing electoral alliance in Bangladesh, primarily consisting of Islamist parties. The alliance is led by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The parties have competed in the 2026 general election, and won 77 seats. Currently, it consists of 10 members.

The Islami Andolan Bangladesh withdrew from the alliance, expressing dissatisfaction with the seat agreement.

Defunct Coalitions Grand Alliance

The Grand Alliance () was an alliance of political parties in Bangladesh that was formed in 2008. It consist of the Awami League, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Workers Party, Liberal Democratic Party, Jatiya Party (Manju), Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Ganatantri Dol, Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist) (Barua) and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh.

The Liberal Democratic Party left the Grand Alliance before the election and contested independently. It joined the 18 Party Alliance in 2012.

20 Party Alliance

The 20 Party Alliance was a Bangladeshi big tent political coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It was originally formed as the 18 Party Alliance on 18 April 2012 in Dhaka, extending its predecessor the 4 Party Alliance. The 18 Party Alliance was formed in an effort to strengthen the opposition's demands for restoring the caretaker government system used between 1996 and 2008. The main rival of this alliance is the Grand Alliance, led by Awami League, which came into power after the election in 2008.

Ganatantra Manch

Ganatantra Manch () was a political alliance consisting of six political parties in Bangladesh. The alliance announced its formation on 8 August 2024 and consisted of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab), the Nagorik Oikko, the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, the Bhasani Anusari Parishad, the Rastro Songskar Andolon and the Ganosanhati Andolan. The Gono Odhikar Parishad was initially with the alliance, but in May 2023, they left the alliance. The coalition effectively ceased to function after Rashtra Sanskar Andolon and several allied parties withdrew and began pursuing a new alliance with National Citizen Party.

Left Democratic Alliance

The Left Democratic Alliance is an alliance of six leftist political parties including Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), Revolutionary Communist League of Bangladesh.

United Front

The United Front was a coalition of political parties in East Bengal that contested and won Pakistan's first provincial general election to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly. The coalition consisted of the Awami Muslim League, the Krishak Praja Party, the Ganatantri Dal (Democratic Party), and Nizam-e-Islam.

Registered parties

These are all the parties that are currently registered under Election Commission.

Name Founded Symbol Flag Leader Ideology Political position 1 LDP Liberal Democratic Party2006 Oli Ahmed Economic liberalismNational conservatism Centre-right 2 JP-M Jatiya Party (Manju)1999 Anwar Hossain Manju Bangladeshi nationalismConservatism Centre-right 3 BSD-ML Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal1973 Dilip Barua CommunismMarxism–Leninism Far-left 4 KSJL Krishak Sramik Janata League1999 Abdul Kader Siddique Mujibism 5 CPB Communist Party of Bangladesh1968 Shah Alam CommunismMarxism-Leninism Far-left 7 BNP Bangladesh Nationalist Party1978 Tarique Rahman ConservatismLiberalismEconomic liberalism Centre to 8 GP Ganatantri Party1990 Md. Arash Ali Secularism 9 NAP National Awami Party1967 Amina Ahmed Socialism Left-wing 10 WPB Workers Party of Bangladesh1980 Rashed Khan Menon CommunismMarxism-Leninism Far-left 11 BDB Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh2004 Bangladeshi nationalismConservatism Centre 12 JP-E Jatiya Party (Ershad)1986 GM Quader Bangladeshi nationalismConservatism Centre-right 13 JASAD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal1972 Hasanul Haq Inu Bangladeshi nationalism Centre-left 14 BJI Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami1948 Shafiqur Rahman Far-rightAttributed to multiple sources: 15 JSD Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab)2002 A. S. M. Abdur Rab Socialism Left-wing 16 ZP Zaker Party 1989 Mustafa Amir Faisal Sufism Right-wing 17 SPB Socialist Party of Bangladesh1980 Bazlur Rashid Firoz CommunismMarxism-Leninism Far-left 18 BJP Bangladesh Jatiya Party2001 Andaleeve Rahman Bangladeshi nationalism Centre 19 BTF Bangladesh Tarikat Federation2005 Syed Najibul Bashar Sufism (Maizbhandarism) Secularism Right-wing 20 BKF Khilafat Andolan1981 Habibullah Miazi Islamism Far-right 21 BML Bangladesh Muslim League1906 Mohsin Rashid Muslim nationalism Far-right 22 NPP National People's Party2007 Sheikh Salauddin SaluBangladeshi nationalism Centre-left 23 JUI Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh1972 Ubaydullah Faruq Islamism Far-right 24 GF Gano Forum1992 Subrata Chowdhury Secularism Centre 25 GF Gano Front1995 Md. Akmal Hossain Democratic socialismSecularism Left-wing 27 BNAP Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bhasani)2006 Jebel Rahman Ghaani SocialismLeft-wing 28 BJP Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Mukit)2003 M. A. Mukit 30 IFB Islamic Front Bangladesh1990 Bahadur Shah Mujaddedi MujaddedismFar-right 31 BKP Bangladesh Kalyan Party2007 Syed Muhammad Ibrahim Islamic democracyBangladeshi nationalismEconomic liberalismCentre-right 32 IOJ Islami Oikya Jote1990 Abdul Qadir Islamism Far-right 33 BKM Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis1989 Mamunul Haque Islamism Far-right 34 IAB Islami Andolan Bangladesh1987 Syed Rezaul Karim IslamismIslamic fundamentalism Far-right 35 BIF Bangladesh Islami Front1990 M. A. Matin Islamic fundamentalismFar-right 36 JAGPA Jatiya Ganotantrik Party1980 Centre-right 37 BBWP Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh2004 Saif Ul Haque CommunismMarxism-Leninism Far-left 38 KM Khelafat Majlis1989 Abdul Basit Azad IslamismFar-right 40 BML Bangladesh Muslim League-BML1982 A. H. M. Kamruzzaman Muslim nationalism 41 Muktijote Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote2000 Abu Layes Munna 42 BNF Bangladesh Nationalist Front2012 M. A. Abul Kalam Azad Secularism 43 NDM Nationalist Democratic Movement2017 Bobby Hajjaj Bangladeshi nationalism 44 BC Bangladesh Congress2013 Kazi Rezaul Hossain Economic liberalismCentre-right 45 TrinomoolBNP Trinomool BNP2015 Antara Selima Huda Grassroots Democracy Centre-right 46 Insaniyat Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh2010 Allama Imam Hayat 47 BJSAD Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dalবাংলাদেশ জাতীয় সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল-জাসদ2023 Sharif Nurul Ambia Socialism Left-wing 48 BNM Bangladesh Nationalist Movementবাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী আন্দোলন2023 Abdur Rahman Bangladeshi nationalism 49 BSP Bangladesh Supreme Partyবাংলাদেশ সুপ্রিম পার্টি2019 Sayed Saifuddin Ahmed Sufism (Maizbhandarism) Right-wing 50 ABParty Amar Bangladesh Partyআমার বাংলাদেশ পার্টি2020 Mojibur Rahman Monju Far-right 51 GOP Gono Odhikar Parishadগণঅধিকার পরিষদ-জিওপি2021 Nurul Haque Nur Progressivism Centre 52 NO Nagorik Oikkoনাগরিক ঐক্য2012 Mahmudur Rahman Manna Centre 53 GSA Ganosanhati Andolanগণসংহতি আন্দোলন2002 Zonayed Saki Egalitarianism 54 BDP Bangladesh Development Partyবাংলাদেশ ডেভেলপমেন্ট পার্টি2022 Anwarul Islam Chand Centre-right 55 BMJP Bangladesh Minority Janata Partyবাংলাদেশ মাইনরিটি জনতা পার্টি2017 Sukriti Kumar Mondal Minority interests 56 NCP National Citizen Partyজাতীয় নাগরিক পার্টি2025 Nahid Islam Centre or Right-wing 57 BLP Bangladesh Labour Partyবাংলাদেশ লেবার পার্টি‌ 1974 Mostafizur Rahman Iran Bangladeshi nationalism Centre 58 BRP Bangladesh Republican Partyবাংলাদেশ রিপাবলিকান পার্টি2014 K. M. Abu Hanif Hridoy 59 SPBM Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist)বাংলাদেশের সমাজতান্ত্রিক দল (মার্কসবাদী)2013 Mubinul Haider Chowdhury CommunismMarxism-Leninism Far-left 60 JD Janotar Dolজনতার দল2025 Md. Shamim Kamal 61 AD Amjanatar Dolআমজনতার দল2025 Tarek Rahman 62 BEP Bangladesh Equal Right Partyবাংলাদেশ সমঅধিকার পার্টি2025 63 BNIP Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Partyবাংলাদেশ নেজামে ইসলাম পার্টি2025 Sarwar Kamal Azizi IslamismFar-right

Regional parties Name Founded Ideology Leader Political position PCJSS Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti 1972 Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Shantu Larma Left-wing UPDF United People's Democratic Front 1998 Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Prasit Bikash Khisa Left-wingPCJSS-MN LarmaParbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (MN Larma)2007Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill TractsJuddho ChakmaLeft-wingUPDF-DemocraticUnited People's Democratic Front (Democratic)2017Autonomy of the indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill TractsTapan Jyoti ChakmaLeft-wing

Outlawed parties