Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Also known as Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP, BNP, Nationalist Party (Bangladesh)
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, abbreviated as BNP, is a major centre to centre-right political party in Bangladesh. It was founded by the former president Ziaur Rahman and his ally former senior minister Mashiur Rahman in 1978. It is one of the two contemporary mainstream parties in the country, alongside the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the ruling party since 2026.
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Key facts
- Abbreviation
- BNP, Nationalist Party
- Chairman
- Tarique Rahman
- Secretary general
- Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
- Standing committee
- National Standing Committee
- Spokesperson
- Ruhul Kabir Rizvi
- Founder
- Ziaur Rahman
- Founded
- 1 September 1978 , (47 years ago) ( 1978-09-01 )
- Preceded by
- Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal
- Headquarters
- 28/1, Naya Paltan , VIP Road, Dhaka
- Newspaper
- The Daily Dinkal
~40 min read
Article
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, abbreviated as BNP, is a major centre to centre-right political party in Bangladesh. It was founded by the former president Ziaur Rahman in 1978, adhering the ideology of Bangladeshi nationalism. It is one of the two contemporary mainstream parties in the country, alongside the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and the ruling party since 2026.
It was Known as the "Party of the Freedom Fighters of the Battlefield" during its establishment, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was founded on 1 September 1978 by President Ziaur Rahman and remained in his leadership until he was assassinated in 1981. Following Rahman's assassination, his widow, Khaleda Zia, took over leadership of the party and presided as chairperson until her imprisonment in 2018. From 2018 until 2025, Tarique Rahman, the son of Rahman and Zia, ran the affairs of the party as the acting chairperson. Upon Zia's death in 2025, Rahman became the chairperson of the party.