New Delhi. The people of Bangladesh are going to vote on 12th February to elect a new government. After removing former PM Sheikh Hasina from power, Bangladesh is looking forward to a new future. But even in this transition, there seems to be a lot of space for Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. The evidence of this is the data coming from Bangladesh elections. In Bangladesh, which has a population of 17 crores, only 80 candidates are from the minority community. Yes, you have read it right.
In Bangladesh, where all kinds of atrocities have taken place on Hindus in the last one year, it is extremely worrying that other minorities including Hindus are lagging behind in the fight for representation. In Bangladesh, which has a population of 17 crores, only 80 minority candidates, this party has the highest number of candidates.
There are a total of 350 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh, but direct elections are held for only 300 seats. These 300 seats are elected from general constituencies. The remaining 50 seats are reserved for women, which are then allocated primarily in proportion to the parties elected.
However, this time elections are being held for 300 seats in Bangladesh. The majority figure here is 151. A total of 80 candidates from religious and ethnic minority communities are in the fray in this election. Out of these 80 candidates, 12 are independent. There are 10 women among the minority candidates. A total of 22 political parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, have given tickets to 68 candidates from minority communities for this election.
Atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh
Let us tell you that in the last 6 months there has been a spate of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Here other minorities including Hindus are continuously being marginalized. According to the report of Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities, there have been 116 minority deaths from June 2025 to January 2026. Most of them are Hindus. These deaths include 12 mob lynchings.
A total of 88 minority community candidates had submitted nomination papers to contest the elections. The Election Commission rejected the nomination papers of 5 candidates and 3 candidates withdrew their nominations. In this way, now 80 candidates are in the fray.
Among political parties, Bangladesh Communist Party has fielded the maximum number of minority candidates. This party has given tickets to 17 minorities.
According to Bangladeshi newspaper Pratham Aalo, this time BNP has given tickets to six candidates from minority communities. For the first time, Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated a candidate from the minority community in the parliamentary elections. Krishna Nandy is contesting from Khulna-1, which includes the Hindu-majority upazilas of Dakop and Batiyaghata. He is a resident of Chuknagar in Dumuria upazila of Khulna and is the president of Hindu Committee of Dumuria Upazila Jamaat.
National Citizen Party, the alleged revolutionary party in Bangladesh, has given ticket to a minority candidate.
Total 1981 candidates in Bangladesh
A total of 1981 candidates are contesting for 298 seats in this election of Bangladesh.
According to the data of the Election Commission, Bangladesh Nationalist Party has fielded candidates on the maximum number of seats in this election, which is contesting on 288 seats. Jamaat-e-Islami is contesting on 224 seats, while Islami Andolan Bangladesh candidates are contesting on 253 seats. Jatiya Party is contesting on 192 seats, and National Citizen Party (NCP) candidates are on 32 seats.
According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census published by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, minorities constitute about 8.96 percent of the total population. Yet their presence in the electoral arena does not reflect this demographic share. But the latest figures show that the participation of minorities in this election is only 4 percent.
