Can Jamaat-e-Islami-led Islamist alliance capture power?

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh are in Dhaka.

Dhaka University Students’ Union elections are considered the precursor to the Bangladesh general elections. Islami Chhatra Shibir, known as Shibir, the youth wing of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, won the student union polls in September 2025. This is seen as a seismic shift in the political landscape on college campuses that could herald changes at the national level. Does this mean that Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh will win the 2026 Bangladesh Election? For political observers, the result was “somewhat surprising” as Shibir had never won DU students’ union polls before. It could have a significant impact on upcoming national elections.

Bangladesh Election 2026

While political parties are preparing for the general elections planned to be held on February 12, 2026, the Community has formed an electoral alliance with like-minded Islamist groups. He joined hands with the National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Khilafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khilafat Andolan, National Democratic Party and Najam-e-Islam party. NCP was founded in July 2024 by student leaders who led a series of protests across the country. Thousands of people, including students, raided the official residence of then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, vandalized it and looted whatever they could. Hasina had to flee the country and take refuge in India.

(Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP joined hands.)

Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh

There is a unification of important Islamic circles that openly oppose the secular character and politics of the constitution and demand that it be replaced by an Islamic constitution. Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic organizations want to implement Sharia law in Bangladesh. Although the NCP does not explicitly demand that the country be turned into an Islamic state, it wants reform in all institutions. Most of its members believe in radical Islam. The so-called student movement is believed to have been pre-planned and well-organized with the aim of overthrowing the secular government and establishing an Islamic nation in its place.

Islamist alliance in Bangladesh

Jamaat-e-Islami has not entered into a poll alliance with its old and reliable political ally, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In fact, the BNP showed no interest in establishing ties with the Islamic organization for its own reasons. Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League is banned and cannot participate in the 2026 Bangladesh Elections. He has received 40 percent or more of the vote in every election since 2009. Even in the 1991, 1996 and 2001 elections, he received 30.08%, 37.49% and 40.13% of the votes respectively, but lost these elections.

(BNP leader Tarique Rahman said he had a plan for Bangladesh.)

National Citizen Party Bangladesh

BNP has devised a strategy to attract Awami League voters as the people are left with no alternative. Led by Khaleda Zia, the party distanced itself from the Islamic segment in an effort to show that it was secular, liberal and progressive, so liberal voters embraced the party in the absence of the Awami League. Analysts believe that the elections will be highly polarized on the issue of secularism and voters will have a clear choice to either vote for the NCP-Jamaat-led coalition of eight parties or the BJP and its smaller allies.

Political polarization in Bangladesh

BNP leader Tarique Rahman, in his first speech after returning from exile, said he had a plan for Bangladesh, citing late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. He said he wanted to create a new country where Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists would have equal opportunities and all would be safe and prosperous. The change in BNP’s stance came at a time when Islamic forces were gaining ground to a large extent, attacks on minorities, including Hindus, were increasing, law and order was breaking down and almost the entire country was plunged into chaos.

Analysts believe that Jamaat is likely to win votes and seats but will not be in a position to form a government. BNP has maintained its leadership in all opinion polls to date. However, the elections are held at a time when the party with the most votes is excluded from the election, which can create divisions. Time will tell whether Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh will come to power.