Bangladesh Elections 2026: As the Bangladesh elections are near, a new name has unexpectedly emerged in the run up. The Bangladesh elections that are scheduled for February 12 has welcomed ‘Krishna Nandi’, a veteran Hindu businessman with decades of commercial experience. Nandi is contesting from Khulna-1 constituency on a Jamaat-e-Islami ticket. This political pairing has sparked debate and curiosity across the country.
His candidacy into the race is striking not just because he belongs to a minority community, but also because of his strong political proximity to Jamaat’s Secretary General, Mia Golam Parwar.
Nandi has argued that Jamaat-e-Islami has the ability to speak for people beyond religious divisions. He says that if he wins, he will take up issues affecting the Hindu community in the Jatiya Sangsad and work to counter the belief that Islamist parties are unwilling or unable to give space to minority voices.
Who is Krishna Nandi?
Krishna Nandi hails from the Dumuria upazila of Khulna district and is a successful businessman. With a career spanning more than 40 years, Nandi has built interest across multiple sectors, including ods, cement, motorcycles, fertiliser, tin, oil and sugar.
From Business leader to electoral contender
He has been associated with Jamaat-e-Islami since 2003, when Golam Parwar first introduced him to Jamaat-e-Islami. He originally hails from Khulna-5 the same constituency from which Pawar is constesting. Nandi currently serves as the president of the party’s Hindu wing. The Khulna-1 seat is a Hindu-dominated constituency where minority votes play a decisive role.
Bangladesh Heads to the Polls amid Political upheaval
Bangladesh will head to the polls on February 12, with nearly 127 million registered voters set to elect 350 members of parliament. The election will be the first since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office in 2024. Since then, the country of around 175 million people has faced sustained political unrest, frequent protests and economic strain, particularly in the garment industry, which remains a backbone of the economy.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is being viewed as the leading contender, while Jamaat-e-Islami is spearheading an 11-party alliance in an effort to regain political ground. A recently formed, youth-driven party that emerged from Gen Z-led protests has also thrown its weight behind Jamaat after failing to convert street momentum into independent electoral success.
At present, Bangladesh is being run by a caretaker government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took charge following a student-led uprising that brought an end to Hasina’s long rule. Along with the parliamentary elections, voters will also participate in a referendum on the July National Charter 2025, which is expected to play a key role in shaping the country’s future system of governance.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
