New political parties focus more on alliances than elections

In an unexpected development, Bangladesh has witnessed the emergence of more than two dozen political parties and platforms in a short span—something not seen in the past three and a half decades. These new parties are forming against the backdrop of a possible fall of the Awami League government, united by a shared political commitment to reshape the existing order. Despite limited public familiarity with their agendas, support bases, or objectives, political analysts suggest these parties are prioritizing alliance-based politics over electoral participation.

Historically, the trend of forming new parties ahead of elections began during the Ershad era. However, the current surge is the most significant since the 1986 elections.

Analysts argue that this trend is driven less by democratic aspiration and more by the pursuit of political leverage and the desire to secure positions in potential alliances to serve strategic interests.

In exchange for political benefits, many of these new parties are offering support to ruling or prospective ruling coalitions, aiding in the propagation and establishment of ideological narratives.

Nevertheless, leaders from these new parties maintain that their emergence brings a new political dimension to the landscape.

Media reports indicate that since August 5 of last year, at least 27 new political parties and platforms have been formed—11 parties and 4 platforms in the previous year, and 12 more parties in just the first four months of this year.

Among the newly emerged parties are: National Citizens Party (NCP), Nucleus Party of Bangladesh (NPB), Nationalist Democratic Party, World Muslim Community, Samata Party, Bangladesh Popular Party (BPP), Sovereignty Movement, Bangladesh Reformist Party (BRP), Bangladesh Mukti’r Dak 71, Bangladesh Jagrat Party, Bangladesh Democratic Party (BDP), National Revolutionary Council, Desh Janata Party, Amjanatar Dal, Bangladesh Democratic Force, Bangladesh Social Democratic Party (BSDP), Bangladesh Jan-Adhikar Party, Jonotar Bangladesh Party, Jonotar Dal, Democratic Citizens Force, Bhasani Janashakti Party, A-Am Janata Party (BAJP), and Janata Party Bangladesh.

The new platforms include: Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, National Citizens’ Committee, United Peoples Bangladesh, and Democratic Students' Parliament.

Professor Gobinda Chakraborty, a political scientist at Dhaka University, told Views Bangladesh that over 20 political parties or platforms have emerged. Of these, the NCP is attracting the most attention despite not yet being registered. It appears to be the only group with a realistic chance of independently gathering popular support. United Peoples Bangladesh, formed by former student leaders of the Islami Chhatra Shibir and linked to the NCP’s origins, is also receiving some attention. Recently, Janata Party Bangladesh has entered the spotlight as well.

He noted that in the lead-up to the next general election, there are growing discussions about potential grand coalitions. The BNP is once again engaging with its former allies as well as both left- and right-wing parties. Jamaat-e-Islami is also exploring ways to form a united Islamic alliance. With coalition-based elections likely, a few of the new parties may play significant roles within such frameworks.

The newly formed parties and platforms claim, however, that their aim is not to seize power but to offer constructive opposition and redirect the government toward a path of national progress through new political arrangements.

Samanta Sharmin, Senior Joint Convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP), told Views Bangladesh, “New parties emerge when existing ones fail to understand or respond to the people's language and demands, making it necessary for someone new to voice those concerns. NCP speaks of a new order that seeks to eliminate corruption and irregularities while ensuring citizens' rights.”

Kazi Shamsul Islam, Office Secretary of the Bangladesh Jagrat Party, commented, “Alliances are not the central issue. A political party’s core responsibility is to build public opinion in favor of its ideology and program. We aim to reflect the people’s will and build support for our ideas.”

He added, “It’s not imperative for us to come to power. Our goal is to play a constructive oppositional role, guiding the government toward national progress and promoting social unity.”

Shawkat Mahmud, former BNP Vice Chairman and current General Secretary of Janata Party Bangladesh, said, “After every mass uprising, revolution, or movement, new political parties arise with the spirit of those struggles. As the state seeks to reorient itself around the spirit of the 1971 and 2024 people's awakenings, the emergence of new parties is inevitable. At this critical juncture, Janata Party Bangladesh seeks to promote justice, sovereignty, and national welfare by resisting discrimination, fascism, and domination while fostering a proud sense of nationalism.”

Welcoming the new parties, Amanullah Aman, adviser to the BNP Chairperson, remarked, “It would be a mistake to evaluate these new or small parties solely based on their alliance positions. Without ideological alignment, no joint movement can take place, nor can mutual trust develop effectively.”

He continued, “Even if their electoral base seems small, the very fact that they’ve formed parties suggests that they have garnered some level of group support. Their contributions toward ensuring civil rights for their constituents cannot be dismissed.”

Electoral system researcher Nesar Amin noted that these new parties often remain unregistered. Even when some do get registered, they typically garner less than one percent of the total vote. However, when backed by major parties or using their symbols, they manage to attract some support.

Professor Dilara Chowdhury of Dhaka University added, “The emergence of new parties reflects the birth of new ideas and practices. A democracy’s strength lies in its ability to accommodate the new. Still, not all such formations are expressions of democratic mindsets. Many are driven by strategic motivations to gain leverage within alliances.”

Professor Gobinda Chakraborty argued that new parties generally arise for two main reasons in Bangladesh politics: first, for mutual benefits, and second, for strategic alliances—not always based on ideological unity. “In political coalitions, ideological proximity often determines affiliation. Small parties tend to lean toward larger parties with shared ideologies. This is how BNP formed its 20-party alliance, and similarly, the Awami League built its 14-party coalition.”

Professor Dilara further noted that, while the leaders of small parties may not always enjoy broad public support, they usually hold some level of political legitimacy. For example, Colonel Oli’s LDP, Andaleeve Rahman Partha’s BJP, or the current Janata Party Bangladesh led by Ilias Kanchan or Shawkat Mahmud. When such prominent personalities align with a political ideology, they often attempt to develop it further within the political sphere—bringing a degree of diversity that enriches major parties.

She added, “Although these small parties may be part of the ruling coalition, they rarely have significant leverage in power-sharing. This dynamic benefits larger parties. The proliferation of smaller parties in coalitions not only helps attract public sentiment during campaigns but also allows the dominant party to maintain control over the power structure.”