Democratic United Front

The Democratic United Front^[a] (Bengali: গণতান্ত্রিক যুক্তফ্রন্ট) is a coalition of ten left-leaning political parties in Bangladesh. It was formed on 29 November 2025.^[3] Four of the member parties – the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), and the Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal – are registered with the Bangladesh Election Commission. The remaining six parties are unregistered.^[4]

The Democratic United Front was announced at a national convention held at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, jointly organized by the Left Democratic Alliance and Bangladesh JASAD. The declaration emphasized the need for a new political alignment in response to corruption, misgovernance, and the unfulfilled aspirations of the 2024 mass uprising.^[3][5]

The convention adopted a seven‑point political proposal outlining the coalition's ideological commitments and electoral strategy. Leaders called for uniting left‑wing, progressive, democratic, and pro–Liberation War forces.^[3]

The DUF declared their electoral manifesto on 23 January 2026, where emphasis were placed on the freedom of speech and expression, literary, cultural and democratic ambitions, development of youth power, and reorganization of educational system.^[6]

The Democratic United Front currently consists of ten political parties.^[7]

On 5 January 2026, DUF leaders met BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman in Gulshan after expressing condolences for Khaleda Zia. They discussed the political situation and the upcoming election, with both sides emphasising the importance of the Bangladesh Liberation War. DUF leaders urged the BNP to prevent groups that opposed the Liberation War and independence of Bangladesh from gaining influence. They also accused the Awami League of exploiting the Liberation War for political gain. They added that they would remain critical if the BNP returned to power.^[8][9]

The DUF and allied left‑wing groups led protests and strikes against proposals to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port to foreign operators, because it threatened national sovereignty, security, and a valuable state asset.^{[10][11][12][13]}

In a rally at the National Press Club chaired by Bazlur Rashid Firoz and attended by leaders from the DUF, protesters demanded an immediate halt to leasing, cancellation of related agreements for terminals such as Laldiachar and Pangao, and nationwide resistance to the imperialist encroachment.^[10][12]

They warned that leasing the port adjacent to naval, refinery, and airport facilities to firms like DP World posed a security risk by allowing foreign naval access and regional surveillance.^[10][14]

They said the NCT is a profitable, domestically funded terminal that generates substantial revenue and should not be handed to foreign firms. The campaign also linked the issue to wider criticism of the interim government for alleged secret deals with the United States, economic mismanagement, and failures on labour and inequality issues, and called for united resistance.^[10][15]

The following tables list candidates from the four registered parties contesting the 2026 Bangladeshi general election under the Democratic United Front. Candidates represent the Communist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist), and Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.^[16][17][18]

• Left Democratic Alliance (Bangladesh)
• United Front (East Pakistan)
• Left Front (West Bengal)
• Politics of Bangladesh