A new party on Saturday (January 24, 2026) joined the Jamaat-e-Islami-led electoral alliance ahead of the February 12 parliament election.
With the inclusion of the Bangladesh Labour Party, the alliance once again comprises 11 partners, a week after an Islamic party announced its exit.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami is the countryโs largest Islamic political party.
On Saturday (January 24), Bangladesh Labour Party (BLP) chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, along with Jamaat Assistant Secretary General and its National Election Management Committee Convener Maulana A.T.M. Masu,m made the announcement of the BLPโs entry into the alliance at a press conference in Dhaka, according to the State-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
The Bangladesh Labour Party was included in the alliance โafter discussing with the central leaders of the 10 parties,โ Bangla newspaper Prathom Alo quoted Jamaat-e-Islamiโs Mr. Masum as saying.
The Labour Party believes what is needed is โnot just a change of power, but a meaningful transformation of the state,โ its chairman Iran was quoted as saying by The Business Standard.
With the inclusion of the Bangladesh Labour party, the alliance once again comprises 11 parties: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Development Party, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (NDP), National Citizen Party (NCP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), AB Party, and Bangladesh Labour Party, the BSS added.
Earlier on January 16, Islamic Movement Bangladesh, also known as Islami Andolan Bangladesh, announced its exit from the Jamaat-led alliance.
Islami Andolan Bangladeshโs top leader Gazi Ataur Rahman had claimed that the party quit the alliance after being โdeprived of justiceโ regarding seat allocations. He had also accused the Jamaat-led grouping of โdeviating from Islamic ideals.โ
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Ziaโs Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has emerged as the frontrunner in the changed political landscape in the country after the interim government disbanded deposed premier Sheikh Hasinaโs Awami League last year.
The Islamic political groups and parties formed a grand alliance recently in an effort to consolidate the votes of their supporters under what was called the โone box policyโ, despite ideological differences among the parties.