With Bangladesh set to hold national elections on February 12, a politically symbolic contest is taking shape in Gopalganj-3, a seat earlier represented by ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Advocate Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, a Hindu leader and practising lawyer, has announced his decision to contest the Gopalganj-3 (Kotalipara–Tungipara) constituency as an independent candidate, amid mounting concerns over violence targeting minority communities.
Pramanik is the general secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, a platform that campaigns for minority rights.
According to The Daily Star, citing Bijan Roy, president of the Hindu Mohajote’s Gopalganj district unit, Pramanik is scheduled to submit his nomination papers on December 28.
Emphasising his non-partisan stance, Pramanik has described himself as a “neutral person” and said he does not belong to any political party.
He has maintained that legislators backed by political parties are often constrained by party discipline and unable to raise local issues effectively. “I want to overcome that limitation and speak on behalf of the people,” he told the Bangladeshi daily.
About The Gopalganj-3 Seat
The Gopalganj-3 seat, regarded as a long-time stronghold of Sheikh Hasina, is witnessing a multi-cornered contest involving candidates from across the ideological spectrum.
Among those contesting the seat are BNP nominee SM Jilani, National Citizen Party candidate Ariful Daria, Jamaat-e-Islami’s MM Rezaul Karim, Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Abul Bashar, Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Maruf Sheikh, National People’s Party’s Sheikh Salauddin, and Khelafat Majlis’s Oli Ahmed. Two independents, Md Habibur Rahman and Mohammad Anwar Hossain, are also in the race.
Minority Violence Forms Key Backdrop
Pramanik’s entry into the electoral fray comes amid reports of an increase in attacks on minority communities, including Hindus, Christians, Sufis and Ahmadiyya Muslims, following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
Minority leaders have alleged that radical groups have taken advantage of political instability and rising anti-India sentiment to justify violence during the tenure of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.
Anger intensified after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a young Hindu man in Mymensingh, which led to protests, including human chains and demonstrations in Dhaka. Minority organisations have accused authorities of failing to conduct proper investigations and deliver justice, further deepening fear and mistrust within affected communities.
With the Awami League barred from contesting elections under a revised anti-terrorism law and concerns growing over sporadic violence and attacks on media, Pramanik’s candidacy from Hasina’s former constituency has acquired symbolic weight.
His bid is being viewed as a test case for minority political participation and the state of pluralism in Bangladesh as the country approaches a crucial electoral moment.
