Jatiya Party (Japa-Anisul) and Jatiya Party (JP-Manju), two allied political parties of the ousted Awami League and members of Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet, have launched a new political alliance on Monday, with some small parties just before the upcoming 13th national election in Bangladesh, which is supposed to happen in the next February.
Led by former ministers Anisul Islam Mahmud and Anwar Hossain Manju, the alliance brings together several small and mostly unregistered parties.
The alliance is driven by two Jatiya Party splinter groups—Jatiya Party (Japa–Anisul) and Jatiya Party (JP–Manju)—both of which were previously aligned with the ousted Awami League government and have long been embedded in Sheikh Hasina’s cabinets.
Anisul Islam Mahmud, a former foreign minister under HM Ershad and later water resources and environment minister in Hasina’s governments, has been made chairman of the NDF, while former lawmaker ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader will serve as spokesperson.
JP–Manju chief Anwar Hossain Manju, who also served in Hasina’s cabinet, has been appointed chief adviser to the new alliance.
The new front formalises a split that has been deepening inside Jatiya Party since mid‑2024, when senior leaders, including Anisul and Hawlader walked out of the GM Quader–led mainstream and held their own council, later seeking separate recognition from the Election Commission.
The Quader camp, backed by Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary, still controls the party’s official election symbol but has seen its Dhaka office attacked and set on fire amid public anger over Jatiya Party’s past role as a “loyal opposition” to the Awami League.
Leaders in the new alliance acknowledge that the July 2024 mass uprising and the subsequent fall of the Awami League government have badly damaged the credibility of parties seen as its parliamentary partners, especially Jatiya Party.
By forming the NDF, they are attempting to recast themselves as part of an “anti-fascist” bloc, insisting that those Jatiya Party figures who “do not see themselves as collaborators of Sheikh Hasina” are converging under this new banner, according to the alliance insiders.
In conversations with Dhaka Tribune, leaders from the Quader faction described the defection of senior colleagues as “unfortunate” but claimed that grassroots activists remain with the main party.
Similar claims from both camps suggest that organizational control at the district and upazila level may become a key battleground as the election approaches.
Political observers note that, after years of an accommodating role in parliament, Jatiya Party’s rival factions are now scrambling to occupy space in a rapidly changing post‑Awami League landscape.
Ousted Awami League and its 14-party alliance, the longest serving alliance of the country, is likely not participating in the upcoming poll, and the Jatiya Party lead by GM Quader is still uncertain about their participation in the next poll so far.
Alliance structure and parties
At Monday’s launch in Dhaka’s Gulshan, Anisul Islam Mahmud read out the NDF’s formal declaration, pledging to address political instability and build an inclusive, multi‑party democratic framework that restores public trust in state institutions.
The alliance says it wants participatory elections and rule‑based governance, with commitments to strengthen parliament, decentralise administration and protect fundamental rights, although detailed policy programmes were still thin at the time of announcement.
The NDF currently groups 18 parties, but only six are registered with the Election Commission, underscoring its heavy reliance on small, lesser‑known outfits.
Alongside Jatiya Party (Anisul) and JP–Manju, the partners include Janata Party Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Movement, Bangladesh Cultural Freedom Alliance, Ganofront, Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Muslim League, National Islamic Grand Alliance, JASAD (Shahjahan Siraj), Democratic Party, Alliance Democratic Party, Democratic Movement, Bangladesh Independence Party, Bangladesh Independent Party, United Democratic Party, National Cultural Alliance and Gan Andolon.
Among those on stage at the launch were prominent Jatiya Party figures who served as members of parliament during Sheikh Hasina’s 2009–2024 rule, including Senior Chairman Kazi Firoz Rashid, Executive Chairman Mujibul Haque Chunnu, Co‑Chairman Syed Abu Hossain Babla, Shahidur Rahman Tepa, Shafiqul Islam Sentu, Liaquat Hossain Khoka, Mostafa Al Mahmud and Zahirul Islam Zahir.
Leaders from allied parties including Acting Chairman of Janata Party Bangladesh Golam Sarwar Milon; Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Movement and former MP Shah Md. Abu Zafar; President of Bangladesh Cultural Freedom Alliance Abu Layes Munna; Secretary General of Trinamool BNP Major (Retd.) Dr. Habibur Rahman; Secretary General of Ganofront Ahmed Ali Sheikh; Chairman of Bangladesh Muslim League Advocate Mohsin Rashid; Chairman of the National Islamic Grand Alliance Abu Naser M. Wahed Faruque; President of the National Cultural Alliance Major (Retd.) Amin Ahmed Afsari; Chairman of the Democratic Party M. Ashiq Billah; Chairman of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Professor M. R. Karim; Chairman of the Democratic Movement M. R. M. Zafar Ullah Chowdhury; Chairman of Bangladesh Independence Party Mizanur Rahman Mizu; Chairman of Bangladesh Independent Party Mirza Azam; and Chairman of the United Democratic Party Narayan Kumar Das were also present at the launching ceremony.
Taking the floor as spokesperson, Ruhul Amin Hawlader told the gathering that “the fight for democracy is still not over,” warning that any election boycotted by major parties would lack legitimacy and durability.
Emphasising that “politics is not static,” he argued that no party should be treated as a permanent enemy or ally and called for broader cooperation to “build a modern Bangladesh,” signalling that the NDF remains open to further negotiations and alignments.
Foreign diplomats’ presence
One of the most closely watched aspects of the event was the conspicuous presence of foreign diplomats.
Representatives included British High Commission political counsellor Tim Duckett, US embassy official Kamrul Hasan Khan, Brunei’s head of mission Rozaimi Abdullah and Indian High Commission second secretary (political) Pooja Jha.
Their attendance immediately set off speculation in political circles over whether the alliance was attempting to project international legitimacy, or whether key development partners were simply keeping a close eye on emerging power configurations ahead of the polls.
Diplomatic sources said envoys have been engaging with a wide spectrum of parties since the fall of the Awami League government, stressing the need for an inclusive, competitive election accepted by all major stakeholders.
