Bangladesh Election Winners Include Former Death Row Convicts

Bangladesh’s February 12 national election has delivered a decisive political shift, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) securing a strong parliamentary majority. The results have also drawn international attention after three winning candidates — previously sentenced to death in separate cases — secured seats in Parliament following their release and acquittal by courts during the interim administration that governed the country after the political upheaval of 2024.

Two of the victorious candidates, Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu of the BNP, had faced convictions linked to major terror and arms-smuggling cases, including incidents connected to anti-India insurgent networks. The third, ATM Azharul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami, had been sentenced to death for war crimes related to Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War before being acquitted by the Supreme Court.

Lutfozzaman Babar, a former State Minister for Home Affairs during the BNP-led government from 2001 to 2006, won the Netrokona-4 constituency with more than 160,000 votes. He had been sentenced to death in connection with the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack targeting a political rally that killed at least 23 people and injured hundreds. In a separate case, he was also sentenced to death for involvement in the 2004 Chittagong arms smuggling incident, in which authorities intercepted large quantities of weapons allegedly destined for insurgent groups in India’s Northeast. In January 2025, Bangladesh’s High Court acquitted him in the arms smuggling case, leading to his release.

Abdus Salam Pintu, another BNP leader and former cabinet minister, won the Tangail-2 seat with nearly 200,000 votes. He had been sentenced to death for his role in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack. He was also accused of links to the Pakistan-based militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), which has been associated with multiple terror incidents in India. A Bangladesh court acquitted him in late 2025, clearing the way for his political return.

ATM Azharul Islam of Jamaat-e-Islami won the Rangpur-2 constituency with approximately 139,000 votes. A former senior party leader, he had been convicted by the International Crimes Tribunal in 2014 on charges related to killings and atrocities during the 1971 Liberation War. In May 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction and acquitted him.

The re-emergence of these figures reflects the significant political realignment in Bangladesh following the 2024 upheaval that led to the formation of an interim administration. Their return to public office underscores shifting legal and political dynamics in the country and has sparked debate both domestically and internationally.

The election outcome signals a new phase in Bangladesh’s political landscape, with the incoming Parliament expected to shape the country’s governance, regional relations, and internal stability amid ongoing political transitions.