Bangladesh Braces for Opposition-Free 2026 Polls Amid Rising Islamist InfluenceBy Northeast Press Staff Writer

Dhaka, June 25:

Bangladesh appears to be heading toward a one-sided general election in February 2026, as the political roadmap charted by the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led Interim Government takes shape. With major players like the Awami League and the Jatiyo Party likely to be excluded from the race, the polls may mark the country’s first major step toward an Islamist-dominated political future.

According to political observers, the exclusion of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and the Jatiyo Party—together representing nearly half of Bangladesh’s 120 million voters—paves the way for an unchallenged victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). However, such a victory may be short-lived, as the growing influence of Islamist groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP), poses a serious challenge to the BNP’s leadership post-election.

Jamaat-e-Islami, long accused of involvement in war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, is expected to make a strong electoral comeback. Traditionally unable to secure more than 5% of the national vote, the group could see its share rise above 20% with the Awami League sidelined. The NCP, widely seen as a political front for Jamaat, is also gaining ground.

Sources say Dr Yunus has extended considerable support to NCP leaders, giving them undue influence in policymaking. Meanwhile, Jamaat is rapidly rebuilding its grassroots networks. Despite contesting separately, both parties appear to be working in tandem toward transforming Bangladesh into an Islamic republic.

Analysts believe that after the 2026 elections, these Islamist factions could attempt to unseat the BNP-led government and take control of the state directly.

Signs of political realignment are already visible. In March, a Dhaka court overturned the 2020 municipal election results in favor of BNP leader Ishraque Hossain. The ruling has yet to be acted upon by the interim authorities. Meanwhile, the government appointed a controversial Islamist figure—allegedly linked to the banned group Hizb-ut Tahrir—as the head of Dhaka North City Corporation, raising concerns about extremism being normalized in administrative circles.

In a dramatic turn, the Interim Government in May officially banned the Awami League from participating in both political and electoral activities. Founded by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League led Bangladesh’s Liberation War and has historically commanded around 40% of the national vote. Even at its weakest, the party maintained at least 25% public support.

Sheikh Hasina’s government (2009–2024) was known for its strong stance against Islamist extremism, pulling Bangladesh off the FATF grey list by 2014 and ensuring a stable environment for economic growth. Ironically, her party now finds itself labelled “anti-national” by an administration that benefited from her governance.

The Jatiyo Party, once the third-largest political force, has not been officially banned but remains ostracized. Its leaders have been kept out of all major political dialogues for nearly a year. Attacks on party offices and even the home of its president, G.M. Quader, have been reported, signalling a broader crackdown.

Over the past 10 months, the Yunus-led Interim Government has taken steps that critics describe as an orchestrated purge of dissent. While hundreds of convicted criminals and alleged extremists have been released, thousands of Awami League members, journalists, lawyers, and academics have been jailed—many on what appear to be politically motivated charges.

Notably, Barrister Tureen Afroz, a former prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal, was arrested in April on charges of attempted murder during last year’s protests. Over 260 journalists now face charges, including serious accusations such as murder.

Any public reference to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is being systematically curtailed. In a controversial move, an actor who portrayed the nation’s founding father in the 2023 film Mujib: The Making of a Nation was recently detained. A Dhaka University professor who criticized the current administration has been served a corruption notice linked to a 2018 case—ironically one he had earlier exposed as a whistleblower.

As Bangladesh approaches 2026, experts fear the erosion of its democratic fabric. What was once hailed as a resilient secular democracy now finds itself teetering on the brink of an authoritarian, Islamist reconfiguration of power.

— Northeast Press

---