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Bangladesh began three days of large-scale political rallies on Thursday, with competing groups organizing mass demonstrations in Dhaka to rally support ahead of eagerly awaited elections. The rallies follow last year’s uprising that led to a major shift in power.
Muhammad Yunus, 84, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and current head of the interim government, took over leadership after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled into exile when protesters stormed her palace in August. Yunus has indicated that national elections could be held as early as December, but no later than mid-2026.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), considered the frontrunner in the upcoming polls, held a May Day rally in the capital.
“We are confident this will be the most memorable grand rally in recent times,” said BNP media officer Shairul Kabir Khan.
Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist political party, will also mobilize supporters in Dhaka on Thursday.
The Jatiya Party, once aligned with Hasina’s former administration, is organizing its first outdoor event since its offices were attacked last October—an incident allegedly linked to its support for Hasina’s Awami League during her final days in power.
On Friday, the National Citizens Party (NCP)—founded by student leaders from the youth-led movement that ousted Hasina—will hold its own rally. NCP leader Nahid Islam was briefly part of the interim cabinet under Yunus before stepping down to form the new party.
“Political programs help us build public engagement,” said Ariful Islam Adib, a senior official of the NCP. “This rally isn’t about showing strength, but we expect 20,000 to 30,000 attendees.”
Hefazat-e-Islam, a coalition of Islamic seminaries, will stage a "grand rally" on Saturday.
“Our rally is a reminder to the government of the sacrifices we’ve made,” said its leader Mamunul Haque, who noted that the event would be used to outline their key demands.
Among those demands is the rejection of proposed reforms by the government’s Women’s Rights Commission, which aims to eliminate discriminatory laws against women—a sign of rising hardline religious activism after years of being pushed to the margins.
“We will present four demands. Chief among them is scrapping the recommendations of the Women’s Rights Commission,” Haque stated.
“We don’t care if it’s Muhammad Yunus in charge or someone even more prominent, we’ll take to the streets,” he added.
Sheikh Hasina, currently living in self-imposed exile in India, is facing an arrest warrant from Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity.
Source: AFP
