The rift between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami is widening day by day, and political analysts predict that it will deepen further as the next national elections approach. Once, the BNP and the Awami League were each other’s fiercest rivals—clashing both on the streets and at the negotiating table. But now, it is the BNP’s relations with its former ally Jamaat that are under strain.Although the two parties once stood shoulder to shoulder in joint movements and even ran the 2001–2006 coalition government together, their positions have shifted in the current political landscape. Analysts point to several key issues—such as the July Charter, the sequencing of reforms versus elections, differences in election strategy, and mutual suspicions—that have created new divisions between the BNP and Jamaat.
Jamaat leaders’ recent remarks indirectly criticizing the BNP have only made the estrangement more visible. While ideological differences between the two groups are longstanding, their unity in the struggle against Sheikh Hasina’s regime is now being tested. Analysts warn that the dispute could reshape opposition politics, with both parties pursuing separate strategies for the election battlefield.
Following international and domestic pressures after 2013–14, BNP gradually distanced itself from Jamaat. Even though the two fought side by side against the Awami League government, tensions escalated after Hasina’s fall in the July uprising. BNP demanded immediate elections in the interest of stability, while Jamaat insisted that key institutional reforms must come first to prevent a repeat of political crises.
Disagreements have also emerged over local government elections. BNP declared that no polls should be held before the national election, whereas Jamaat demanded local polls first. BNP leaders view this as an attempt by Jamaat to strengthen its grassroots networks at BNP’s expense.
Recently, Jamaat launched a simultaneous movement with several like-minded parties, putting forward five demands: holding elections in February based on the July Charter; introducing a proportional representation (PR) system in both parliamentary houses; ensuring a level playing field; visible justice for the fallen regime’s crimes; and banning the activities of the Jatiya Party and the Awami League-led 14-Party Alliance. In contrast, BNP has announced its own nationwide election campaign focused on selecting candidates, promoting its 31-point program, and mobilizing voters.
BNP leaders believe Jamaat’s demand for a PR system is tactical—born of the fear that first-past-the-post elections will not favor them. “Elections cannot be decided on the streets. The PR issue must be discussed at the negotiation table,” a BNP senior leader said.
The rivalry has also spilled onto university campuses. Recent student union elections at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University saw Shibir-backed panels claim sweeping victories, while BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal alleged widespread rigging and boycotted the polls. These results deepened mistrust between the two allies-turned-rivals.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed reiterated that BNP is a people’s party, built on public support rather than compromises. He accused Jamaat of pushing for the PR system to obstruct elections and create instability. In response, Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair argued that BNP is spreading propaganda because it fears losing influence under proportional representation.
Political observers note that while both parties shared similar positions immediately after the August 5 regime change, disagreements over the timing and nature of the next election have since emerged. BNP fears that Jamaat may contest all 300 seats or adopt strategies that undermine BNP’s prospects. Jamaat, meanwhile, doubts whether a BNP-led government would honor reform pledges if elected first.
Former Jahangirnagar University professor Dilara Chowdhury observed that the growing BNP–Jamaat rift risks pushing the country into turmoil. “If the distance narrows, elections will come sooner, and stability will return,” she noted.
Another analyst, Professor Golam Hafiz, emphasized that rise and fall are natural in politics. “Whether the two parties realign or not will depend on how Bangladesh’s political situation evolves in the coming months,” he said.