As Bangladesh gears up for its 13th parliamentary elections on 12 February 2026, scrutiny of candidates reveals a worrying gap in the representation of religious and ethnic minorities.
Out of 1,842 valid candidates nationwide, only 55 or just 2.99 percent come from minority communities. Among the contesting 51 political parties, only 21 have nominated candidates from these groups.
The population and housing census 2022, published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, notes that minorities account for roughly 8.96 percent of the total population. Yet their presence in the electoral arena does not reflect this demographic share.
The decline in minority candidates marks a reversal of past trends.
The 9th parliamentary election, widely regarded as the last broadly accepted vote, saw 61 minority candidates, including 15 from the Awami League.
The 10th election, boycotted by BNP and its allies and criticised for 151 uncontested seats, had only 37 minority candidates.
Participation rose to 79 in the 11th election and 81 in the 12th, before dropping sharply to 55 in the 13th polls.
Analysis of nomination records shows that minority candidates are concentrated in a few districts, leaving many areas entirely unrepresented.
Supreme Court advocate and election expert Shahjahan Saju said to TIMES of Bangladesh, political parties primarily consider voter composition and a candidate’s chances of winning when awarding nominations.
“Even though minority voters make up a significant part of the population, their numbers are scattered across the country, which often reduces their chances of getting representation. As a result, minority candidates tend to receive nominations only in selected constituencies,” he told TIMES.
In the Dhaka division, 13 minority candidates are contesting, including three from Dhaka district. No candidates are running from Munshiganj, Narsingdi, Kishoreganj, Tangail, Faridpur, Shariatpur, or Rajbari. Similarly, the Chattogram division shows uneven participation, with no minority candidates contesting from Chandpur, Feni, or Cumilla.
The Khulna division has the highest number of minority candidates, with 17 in total, though districts such as Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Narail, and Satkhira remain unrepresented.
Participation in other divisions remains minimal. Mymensingh has only one minority candidate, while Rajshahi has two, contesting from Bogura and Naogaon.
Sylhet has three candidates across Sunamganj, Sylhet, and Moulvibazar. Rangpur hosts nine candidates, mostly fielded by smaller parties, while Barishal has six, with four districts recording no minority contestants.
Abdul Alim, member of the Electoral Reform Commission and election expert, mentions “ Political parties in other countries adopt voluntary policies to promote minority participation.”
“Political parties in Bangladesh need to take similar initiatives to ensure backward sections of society—including minorities and women—have a voice” he told TIMES.
The sharp reduction in minority candidates highlights the absence of a consistent approach by political parties toward inclusive representation, raising concerns about the state of democracy in Bangladesh.
