Khaleda Zia To Make Political Comeback, To Contest Three Seats In 2026 Bangladesh Elections

BNP Unveils Candidates for 237 Seats as Khaleda Zia Set to Make Political Comeback.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday announced its preliminary list of candidates for 237 constituencies ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (parliamentary) elections, scheduled for the first half of February 2026 — the first major national vote since Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and escape to India.

In a key political development, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia will contest from three constituencies — Bogura-7, Feni-1, and Dinajpur-3. While Bogura and Feni are her traditional bastions, Dinajpur-3 marks her first electoral foray into the northern region.

The announcement marks the BNP’s formal return to electoral politics after boycotting the 2014 and 2024 general elections over allegations of vote rigging and its demand for a neutral caretaker government. In the 2018 elections, the BNP, which contested as part of the Jatiya Oikya Front alliance, managed to win just five seats — a setback that deepened internal discord and weakened its opposition role.

Party officials said Monday’s list is part of a phased rollout, with the remaining nominations expected soon. The leadership plans to intensify its nationwide campaign to re-establish the BNP as the country’s principal opposition force.

Khaleda Zia, a two-time former prime minister sidelined in recent years due to health problems and corruption cases, is seen by party insiders as a symbol of the BNP’s attempt to stage a political comeback ahead of what is expected to be a fiercely contested election.