Representative image NAGPUR: Amidst the brutal persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in the run-up to the February polls, a party registered in April hopes to fight its maiden elections, seeking Hindu and other minority votes. Bangladesh Minority Janta Party (BMJP) is preparing to contest 91 of 300 seats of Jatiya Parishad (national parliament), hoping to win 40 to 45 seats, said the outfit’s president, Sukriti Kumar Mandal.Talking to TOI on phone from Dhaka, Mandal said, “We have zeroed in on constituencies where the minority, especially the Hindu vote-bank, ranges from 20% to 60%.”Scrambling to file nominations before the Monday deadline, Mandal feels Hindus need to feel safe to come out and vote. A tie-up with any mainstream party – be it Tarique Rahman’s BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami – can help. “With an alliance with these parties, minorities can come out of their houses without fearing retaliation. Awami League is off the radar, and BMJP is the only voice of persecuted Hindus,” Mandal told TOI.Mandal said the party candidates would be finalised in a day or two. “By Saturday, all nominations would be filed,” he said.He said India should change its stand on Bangladesh and only back the cause of Hindus, instead of supporting the Awami League. “If India shifts from its pro-Awami League stand, mainstream Bangladesh parties will sit up and take note. India must know that BMJP is the sole voice of minorities,” Mandal said. A change in stand could also lead to a change in Bangladeshi mindset towards India, he said, adding the Awami League only used India to gain power.The five-point agenda shared with TOI includes working towards a secular Bangladesh, establishing a federal system by carving out five provinces, and establishing fundamental and constitutional rights of each state. BMJP also proposes changes in textbooks with a secular and scientific approach, apart from ensuring fair rights for minorities.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosH-1B Visa Delays: MEA Says India Has Flagged Issue With USIndia Flags H-1B Visa Delays With US As Indians Face Backlogs Scrutiny And Policy UncertaintyPM Modi Praises Gen Z Confidence, Sees Them Leading Viksit Bharat”People Who Are…” MEA Responds To Viral Mallya And Modi “Biggest Fugitive” VideoRed Line From New Delhi: India Calls Out Yunus Govt As Minority Attacks In Bangladesh EscalateMyanmar Heads to Polls After Five Years as Rights Groups Slam Military-Run Process’Can You Elect A Non-Muslim?’ Indian Student Dismantles Pakistan On Minority Rights, DemocracySix Shots On AMU Campus Kill Teacher As CCTV Shows Killers Firing Into His Head After He Fell DownPutin Called Pakistan A Junta With Nukes As Bush Feared Nuclear Leaks To Iran, Reveal TranscriptsTwo Indians Killed In Canada Within A Few Days, Families Raise Question On Safety Of Students Abroad123PhotostoriesSalman Khan birthday special: Best family moments5 Indian beaches that are perfect for quiet, unhurried vacationsTop 5 important lessons to teach your kids in 2026; something that school never teaches them5 fashion experiments of 2025 that were imaginative, structural, and deliciously bizarre5 ‘food from the future’ that already part of restaurant menus now5 forbidden places on Earth and what happens if a tourist tries to visit themAnkita Lokhande’s most stylish saree looks: From red bandhani to purple chiffon5 types of demons as per mythologyand what do they signifyAhead of ‘Jana Nayagan’ audio launch: Revisiting Thalapathy Vijay’s most ICONIC audio launch moments10 books whose first line is enough to convince anyone to read them123Hot PicksUAE WeatherPAN-Aadhaar linkingAmrit MondalGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundIndian Railways fareBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingFrank Lampard and Christine Lampard Net WorthJordan Spieth Net WorthElliotte FriedmanKhamzat ChimaevTravis KelceAaron RodgersPatrick MahomesTua Tagovailoa WifeLaMelo BallMax Verstappen Girlfriend
NAGPUR: Amidst the brutal persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in the run-up to the February polls, a party registered in April hopes to fight its maiden elections, seeking Hindu and other minority votes. Bangladesh Minority Janta Party (BMJP) is preparing to contest 91 of 300 seats of Jatiya Parishad (national parliament), hoping to win 40 to 45 seats, said the outfit’s president, Sukriti Kumar Mandal.Talking to TOI on phone from Dhaka, Mandal said, “We have zeroed in on constituencies where the minority, especially the Hindu vote-bank, ranges from 20% to 60%.”Scrambling to file nominations before the Monday deadline, Mandal feels Hindus need to feel safe to come out and vote. A tie-up with any mainstream party – be it Tarique Rahman’s BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami – can help. “With an alliance with these parties, minorities can come out of their houses without fearing retaliation. Awami League is off the radar, and BMJP is the only voice of persecuted Hindus,” Mandal told TOI.
Mandal said the party candidates would be finalised in a day or two. “By Saturday, all nominations would be filed,” he said.He said India should change its stand on Bangladesh and only back the cause of Hindus, instead of supporting the Awami League. “If India shifts from its pro-Awami League stand, mainstream Bangladesh parties will sit up and take note. India must know that BMJP is the sole voice of minorities,” Mandal said. A change in stand could also lead to a change in Bangladeshi mindset towards India, he said, adding the Awami League only used India to gain power.The five-point agenda shared with TOI includes working towards a secular Bangladesh, establishing a federal system by carving out five provinces, and establishing fundamental and constitutional rights of each state. BMJP also proposes changes in textbooks with a secular and scientific approach, apart from ensuring fair rights for minorities.
