Bangladesh Nationalist Party

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, abbreviated as BNP, is a major centre to centre-rightpolitical party in Bangladesh. It was founded by the former presidentZiaur Rahman in 1978, adhering the ideology of Bangladeshi nationalism. It is one of the two contemporary mainstream parties in the country, alongside the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the ruling party since 2026.

It was Known as the "Party of the Freedom Fighters of the Battlefield" during its establishment, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was founded on 1 September 1978 by President Ziaur Rahman and remained in his leadership until he was assassinated in 1981. Following Rahman's assassination, his widow, Khaleda Zia, took over leadership of the party and presided as chairperson until her imprisonment in 2018. From 2018 until 2025, Tarique Rahman, the son of Rahman and Zia, ran the affairs of the party as the acting chairperson. Upon Zia's death in 2025, Rahman became the chairperson of the party.

Since its founding, the BNP has won the 1981, 1991, and 2001 presidential elections, and the 1979, 1991, February 1996, 2001, and 2026 general elections. BNP members Ziaur Rahman, Abdus Sattar, Abdur Rahman Biswas, A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury, and Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar have served as the country's president, while Mashiur Rahman, Shah Azizur Rahman, Khaleda Zia, and Tarique Rahman have served as the country's prime minister. Ziaur Rahman-led governments formed under the semi-presidential system and the parliamentary republics were led by Khaleda Zia, who served as prime minister. Khaleda Zia, who served as the party's chairperson from 1983, became the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh and the second female prime minister of a Muslim-majority country after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. The party holds the record of being the largest opposition in the history of parliamentary elections of the country with 116 seats in the June 1996 general election.

A big tent party, the BNP espouses a stance that combines a sense of national pride with a commitment to traditional values, while emphasising advancing the interests of corporations. It maintains a solid stance on relations with India while also embracing a blend of moderate Islam and traditional Bengali culture. The party has faced sustained criticism for corruption, political violence, and poor governance, particularly during its 2001–2006 tenure, with controversies such as the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack, the 2004 arms and ammunition haul in Chittagong, and Hawa Bhaban's alleged role as a parallel power center. The party's affiliated wings have been repeatedly accused of extortion and violence, including a 2025 daylight murder linked to its student and youth fronts, further deepening public discontent and damaging the BNP's reputation. As of 2026, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's strongest demographics include working-age voters, farmers, labourers, Sufis, Ahmadis, Hindus, and indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.