Jamaat Chief Warns Against Misinformation as BNP Chairman Thanks Islamic Scholars Before Bangladesh Elections

As Bangladesh prepares to vote Thursday in its 13th National Parliament elections, the country’s major political contenders have issued statements focused on voter awareness and electoral integrity in what will be the first national elections since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Shafiqur Rahman has raised concerns about misinformation campaigns, claiming that certain groups alarmed by his party’s rising popularity are attempting to sway public opinion through propaganda. In a Facebook post, Rahman urged citizens to disregard such campaigns and exercise their voting rights responsibly.

“Voting is both a constitutional right and a sacred duty that the entire nation expects,” Rahman stated, according to the Dhaka Tribune. He specifically addressed young voters, praising the Gen-Z generation as “heroes of the July revolution” whose activism created the conditions for what he described as a free and festive election after years of political turmoil.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman expressed gratitude to the country’s prominent Islamic scholars for their reported support ahead of the elections. In a statement issued through his Press Secretary, Saleh Shibly, Rahman said the scholars’ guidance would help voters make informed choices and counter misinformation targeting the party.

“At this historic moment for the nation, the position taken by the country’s top ulema will guide the people towards the right path,” Rahman’s statement read. He emphasized that this support highlights the BNP’s commitment to Islamic values and expressed hope that citizens would receive proper guidance in exercising their political rights.

The elections represent a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s democratic trajectory, coming almost two years after the dramatic ousting of Sheikh Hasina following widespread protests led by students in July 2024. The uprising ended the Bangladesh Awami League’s long-standing dominance in the country’s politics, and the party has been barred from participating in Thursday’s elections.

The main contenders in this electoral contest are the BNP and the Islamic conservative party Jamaat-e-Islami, which is leading an alliance with the National Citizen Party (NCP). These parties, along with smaller political entities, are competing on a seat-sharing basis across the country’s constituencies.

Beyond the parliamentary contest, voters will simultaneously participate in a national referendum on the July National Charter, a significant document proposing major constitutional and institutional reforms that could reshape Bangladesh’s governance structure for years to come. The referendum adds another layer of importance to Thursday’s polling, as citizens will not only elect their representatives but also potentially endorse fundamental changes to the nation’s political framework.

The intense 20-day official campaign period concluded on February 10, with authorities now fully focused on polling logistics and security arrangements. Election officials have been deployed across the country, and security forces are on high alert to ensure a peaceful voting process.

Bangladesh’s political landscape has undergone seismic shifts since the 2024 July Uprising that reshaped the country’s political dynamics. The upcoming elections represent the first major democratic exercise since those events, testing the stability of the new political order that emerged in the wake of Hasina’s departure.

As the nation of approximately 170 million people prepares to cast their ballots, the atmosphere across Bangladesh is characterized by a mixture of anticipation, hope, and vigilance. The outcome of Thursday’s vote could determine the course of Bangladesh’s political and economic development for the foreseeable future, making it one of the most consequential elections in the country’s recent history.