Bangladesh has launched three days of mass political rallies beginning Thursday, as rival parties take to the streets of Dhaka in a show of strength ahead of upcoming elections following last year’s popular uprising.
The rallies mark a new chapter in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, now leading an interim government after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled into exile in August. At the time, protesters stormed her palace amid allegations of authoritarian rule.
Yunus has pledged to hold elections as early as December, or no later than mid-2026.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the frontrunner in the anticipated elections, held a May Day rally in the capital.
“We are confident this will be the most memorable grand rally in recent times,” said BNP media officer Shairul Kabir Khan.
Several other groups are also staging demonstrations. The Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami mobilized supporters, while the Jatiya Party, once aligned with Hasina’s Awami League, held its first outdoor political event since its offices were attacked in October.
Friday will see the National Citizens Party (NCP) rally in Dhaka. The NCP emerged from the youth-led protests that helped oust Hasina. Party leader Nahid Islam briefly joined Yunus’s interim government before forming the NCP.
“Political programs help us build public engagement,” said Ariful Islam Adib, a senior party official. “This rally isn’t about showing strength, but we expect 20,000 to 30,000 attendees.”
On Saturday, Hefazat-e-Islam—a coalition of Islamic seminaries—will hold what it calls a “grand rally” focused on religious and cultural grievances.
“Our rally is a reminder to the government of the sacrifices we’ve made,” said Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque.
“We don’t care if it’s Muhammad Yunus in charge or someone even more prominent, we’ll take to the streets.”
Among Hefazat’s key demands is scrapping recent recommendations by the government’s Women’s Rights Commission aimed at eliminating gender discrimination—an indication of renewed hardline religious activism after years of suppression.
Former prime minister Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India, defying an arrest warrant issued by Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity.
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Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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