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Political party at partition in 1947 there was practically one over helming party in East Pakistan, the Muslim League. In the elections of 1996 in Bangladesh, 81 political parties participated. In spite of the rise of so many political parties over time, the public is essentially grouped under two major political parties – Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party; the next major parties being Jatiya Party and Jamat-E-Islam Bangladesh.

Awami League:  In March 1948, H.S.Suhrawardy promoted the idea of floating a new party called Pakistan National League. The progressive elements established the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League (EPAL) at a convention held on 23-24 June 1949 under the leadership of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was an active leader of this group and became the party’s Joint Secretary along with Khondkar Mostaq Ahmed.

In the election of 1991 it secured 88 seats against Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s 140 seats. Awami League won 146 seats in the parliamentary election of 1996 against BNP’s 116 and formed the government with the support from Ershad’s Jatiya Party and JSD. In the election of 2008, Awami League led 14 party alliance and won more then three fourths of the seats and now they are governing/ruling the country forming Government.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party:  The party emerged in the late 1970s as a state sponsored party headed by president Ziaur Rahman. In the 1979 parliamentary elections BNP won more than two thirds of the seats. President Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in an abortive coup on 30 May 1981. In the Jatiya Sangsad election of 2001, Bangladesh Nationalist Party led 4 party alliances and secured two thirds of the seats of the parliament and formed the Government.

Jatiya Party (JP):  It is a state sponsored centrist party floated on 1 January 1986 under the chairmanship of Lieutenant General H.M. Ershad. In the parliamentary election held in May 1986 and thereafter March 1988, it won easily, although both the elections were said to have been rigged heavily. The movement for restoration of democracy waged by the opposition parties and students forced Ershad to resign on 6 December 1990 and he was imprisoned.

Jatiya Samajtantric Dal (JSD):  The party emerged as a major leftist party after the emergence of Bangladesh. The leftist group led by Sirajul Alam Khan and ASM Abdur Rab steered the formation of the new party on 31 October 1972.

Islamic Oikyo Jote:  It was established in 1990 consisting of seven parties –

i)                    Khelafat Majlis

ii)                  Nezam-e-Islam

iii)                Faraizi Jamat

iv)                Islamic Morcha

v)                  Ulama Committee

vi)                Splinter group of NAP

vii)              Islamic Shashantantra Andolon

Gana-Forum:   Dr. Kamal Hossain, an eminent lawyer and a former leader of Awami League, floated Gana-Forum in 1992. It was established as a political party in August 1993. It is a left liberal Party.