All About Bangladesh Nationalist Party And How It Was Founded

Nearly a year-and-a-half after a popular student movement overthrew the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh, the country will vote in the General Election on February 12.

06 Feb 2026, 01:53 · NDTV

Nearly a year-and-a-half after a popular student movement overthrew the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh, the country will vote in the General Election on February 12. The nation, with a population of around 170 million, will elect 350 lawmakers and usher in a new leadership after a period of prolonged political turmoil.

Tarique Rahman and his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have emerged as a frontrunner this time.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party: How It Was Founded

The BNP was founded by former Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman on September 1, 1978. The party's ideology is rooted in 'Bangladeshi Nationalism,' recognising the right of people from all walks of life, irrespective of their ethnicity, gender or race.

As per its founding declaration, the BNP was established to achieve "unbreakable national unity and a broad-based democratic political structure," national economic liberation, self-reliance, as well as freedom from imperialism, expansionism and neo-colonialism.

During the 1979 elections in Bangladesh, the BNP bagged 207 seats, while the Awami League was restricted to 39 seats. The BNP formed the government, with Rahman stating at the time, “The first and foremost task of the BNP is to restore the democratic rights of the people.”

The party relocated its central office to Naya Paltan in 1980. A year later, its leader, Rahman, was assassinated at the Chittagong Circuit House. Abdus Sattar was elected as the President, and he took over the leadership of the party as well. The same year, Khaleda Zia, the daughter of Ziaur Rahman, joined politics and became a primary member of BNP.

Within months, General Hussein Muhammad Ershad seized power in a coup d'etat on March 24, 1982. She was appointed as the Senior Vice Chairman of the party in March 1983 and became its acting chairperson in January 1984. She was arrested along with Hasina on March 1 that year.

On May 10, 1984, Khaleda Zia became Chairperson of the BNP unopposed. She emerged as the first elected female Prime Minister of Bangladesh in 1991, when the BNP bagged 144 seats. At the time, it formed the government with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami.

After back-to-back victories in elections, the party won only 29 seats in 2008, despite securing over 33% of the votes. This marked one of the most controversial chapters in the country's democratic history.

Tarique Rahman's return

The heir to Bangladesh's longtime ruling family returned to Bangladesh after nearly 17 years in exile in December last year. Rahman stayed in London after leaving the country in 2008 over what he described as politically motivated persecution.

After the passing of Khaleda Zia, Rahman assumed the duties of party chairman.

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