Bangladesh Nationalist Party

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Bangladesh Nationalist Party




Leader	Begum Khaleda Zia

Founded	September 1, 1978
Headquarters	Hawa Bhaban, Dhaka

Political ideology	Centre-right, Conservatism, Nationalism
International affiliation	none

Website	BNP

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Bangladesh Nationalist Party (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Dôl, BNP) is the immediate past ruling political party of Bangladesh, as part of an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (as of October 2006). It was founded on September 1, 1978, by former military General Ziaur Rahman. The party has ruled the country in three separate terms. The party's chair is General Zia's widow, Begum Khaleda Zia, an ex-Prime Minister of Bangladesh. In 2001 elections the BNP and its Islamist allies got 46% of the vote and 215 of the 300 seats in Parliament, while the secular Awami League got 40% of the votes and 62 seats to become the largest opposition party.

Major General Ziaur Rahman, during his tenure as president of the republic, reoriented the country's foreign policy, and moved away from the pro-Indian and pro-Soviet positions of the previous government. He emphasized the need for closer relations with Muslim majority countries, including former sister country Pakistan, and the West. Ties were also strengthened with the Peoples Republic of China, which, along with Saudi Arabia, had only recognized Bangladesh after August 1975 when the country's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated.

The 1991-'96 and 2001-'06 BNP led governments' successes include development in the education sector, infrastructure and telecommunications development, growth of macro-economy, and improvement of law and order situation. However, failure to improve power generation, allowing the rise of Islamic militancy, and large-scale corruption by top party leaders have subjected them to frequent criticism. While both the governments were seen as business-friendly, their pro-market policies led to significant price-inflation.

The BNP promotes a very center-right policy combining elements of conservatism, corporatism, nationalism, militarism, authoritarianism, anti-anarchism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism. It is more popular among the country's business class, military, and conservatives, and is credited with bringing socio-economic stability in the country. Two such parties, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Islami Oikya Jote, are currently coalition parters that ruled from 2001-2006 and are standing again in the upcoming 2007 elections.