Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen called for the lifting of the ban on the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, raising the need for secular or left-leaning parties in the country
Bangladeshi writer
Taslima Nasreen called for the lifting of the ban on the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s
Awami League, raising the need for secular or left-leaning parties in the country. Nasreen, on Thursday, shared her take on the ongoing polls in Bangladesh.
She pointed out that if the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) wins the elections and Jamaat-e-Islami becomes the main opposition, this will be the first time in the history of the country that a prominent left-wing party would be out of the political landscape.
Nasreen insisted that while she opposes dynasty politics, no political party should be formed on religious lines. “If the BNP wins, Jamaat-e-Islami will become the main opposition for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. This happens only because the
Awami League has been banned. I hope the elected government unbans the Awami League, so that the opposition comes from secular or left-leaning parties, not a religious one,” Nasreen wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
If the BNP wins, Jamaat-e-Islami will become the main opposition for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. This happens only because the Awami League has been banned.
I hope the elected government unbans the Awami League, so that the opposition comes from secular or…
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) February 12, 2026
“I oppose dynasty politics and religion-based politics. In a truly secular state, no political party should be built on religion. If any party must be banned on principle, it should be Jamaat-e-Islami, not secular parties,” she furthered.
Bangladesh needs secular leadership: Nasreen
Nasreen concluded her post by insisting that Bangladesh needs a secular leadership that also pays respect to women’s rights. “Bangladesh needs new secular leadership committed to women’s rights, human rights, universal education, universal healthcare, and free speech — not dynasties, not clerics,” Nasreen said in the post.
Women’s representation has been a persistent issue in
Bangladeshi politics, which has become more severe in these elections. Out of over 1,900 candidates, only 78 women are contesting in the polls this year. While the number is less, it is still seen in Dhaka as a new record. Moreover, nearly a third of them are not independent political actors, but relatives of influential men – wives, daughters or family members of party leaders and power brokers.
According to The Daily Star, at least 30 parties, including
Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Islami Front, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Jonotar Dal, Bangladesh Sangskritik Mukti Jote, Bangladesh Congress, Jatiya Party (JP), Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Bangladesh Nationalist Front and Bangladesh Jasad, have fielded only male candidates.
It is pertinent to note that the Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972, requires political parties to reserve at least 33 per cent of committee posts for women, including at the central level. However, almost all the parties failed to meet this obligation. Hence, the direction Bangladeshi politics is heading has become concerning to many in the country.
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