Bangladesh Election: The Hindu Candidate Running For Sheikh Hasina's Seat And His Opponents

Amid ongoing atrocities against minorities, a Hindu man is seeking to win people's mandate from the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's constituency in the upcoming national elections. Advocate Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, general secretary of the central committee of Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, is planning to file his nomination papers as an independent candidate from the Gopalganj-3 (Kotalipara-Tungipara) seat in the February 12 polls. 

Quoting Hindu Mohajote's Gopalganj district president, Bijan Roy, The Daily Star reported Pramanik is scheduled to submit his nomination paper on December 28.

Pramanik labels himself as a "neutral person", with "no affiliation with any political party, nor have I ever been involved in party politics"

"Elected MPs from political parties often cannot raise the problems of ordinary people due to party discipline. I want to overcome that limitation and speak on behalf of the people," he said, talking to the Bangladeshi publication.

Others who are contesting Hasina's seat are -- BNP-nominated candidate SM Jilani, National Citizen Party (NCP)'s Ariful Daria, Jamaat-e-Islami's MM Rezaul Karim, Gono Odhikar Parishad's Abul Bashar, Islami Andolan Bangladesh's Maruf Sheikh, National People's Party's Sheikh Salauddin, Khelafat Majlis's Oli Ahmed; and independent candidates Md Habibur Rahman and Mohammad Anwar Hossain.

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Rise In Violence Against Minorities

Following the ouster of Hasina last year, radical factions have filled the power vacuum in Bangladesh, leading to a surge in violence against minorities, including Hindus, Christians, Sufis and Ahmadiyya Muslims. These groups have capitalised on growing anti-India sentiment to justify attacks against minorities and push a radical Islamic agenda under the Muhammed Yunus-led interim government

Addressing the gathering organised by the Minority Unity Front outside the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, minority leaders said that inadequate investigations and the absence of justice had created an atmosphere of fear and mistrust in Bangladesh.

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Recently, Bangladesh witnessed renewed unrest and protests over targeted violence on Hindus after the lynching and killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a young Hindu man in Mymensingh. Several leaders of minority organisations in Bangladesh formed a human chain earlier this week, accusing the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of failing to stop violence, killings and persecution of minority communities across the country.

Bangladesh Polls

Bangladesh is heading into the polls under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. While authorities have pledged a free and peaceful election, recent attacks on media outlets and sporadic violence have raised concerns.

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Bangladesh has banned all activities of deposed premier Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party under an overnight revised anti-terrorism law. 

A violent student-led street protest dubbed 'July Uprising' toppled Hasina's Awami League regime on August 5, 2024, and Yunus' subsequent interim administration disbanded the party under an executive order disqualifying it from contesting the polls, slated for February 12, 2026.