Communist Party of Bangladesh

History

Background and formation

After the Partition of India in 1947, delegates from Pakistan, including present‑day Bangladesh, attended the 2nd Congress of the Communist Party of India in Calcutta. On 6 March 1948, they held a separate session and established the Communist Party of Pakistan, with Nepal Nag of East Bengal as its first general secretary.

The main base of the newly formed party was in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). This eastern unit was separated from the western unit by nearly 2,000 km of Indian territory. The geographical divide, combined with repression from the government of Pakistan and uneven development of democratic movements, led communists in East Pakistan to seek an independent centre for their activities. At its 4th Conference in 1968, held clandestinely, the East Pakistan Provincial Committee declared the meeting to be the 1st Congress of the Communist Party of East Pakistan (CPEP) and elected a Central Committee.

The party played a vital role in the 1969 uprising and the subsequent nationwide upheaval, including the non-cooperation movement of 1971. The CPB also actively participated in the Bangladesh Liberation War. A "Special Guerilla Force" under the direct command of the CPB, National Awami Party (Muzaffar) and Bangladesh Students Union fought against the Pakistan army. Communists also took part in the other segments of the armed resistance fighters, including the Mukti Bahini and the new Bangladesh Army. Moni Singh, the former president of CPB, was elected to the advisory council of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh.

Independent Bangladesh

Following the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the party adopted the name Communist Party of Bangladesh. It subsequently formed a Trade Union Centre to mobilise labour organisations along revolutionary lines. On 14 October 1973 the Gana Oikya Jote (Translation: 'People's Unity Alliance'; Bengali: 'গণ ঐক্য জোট') was formed, comprising the Awami League, CPB and NAP (Muzaffar), with a view to prepare ground for establishing socialism in the country. At its 1973 congress in Dacca, the party adopted a new constitution and elected a 26‑member central committee, with Moni Singh as president and Mohammad Farhad as general secretary. The party merged into Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) on 25 January 1975 under President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's "Second Revolution" programme.

On 15 August 1975, Sheikh Mujib was assassinated by a section of the army, which ultimately brought the country under military rule. The CPB leaders and workers were victims of serious repression under the military government in 1975. The party leaders in the centre and at district levels were arrested, warrants were issued against many, and in October 1977, CPB was declared banned. In 1978 the ban on the party was, however, withdrawn, and its leaders were released. The CPB participated in the 1979 general election. As a member of the Oikya Front, the CPB endorsed Zuhayr Zimam in the 1978 presidential election. The CPB joined the 15-party alliance in 1983 against the military rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad and participated in the 1986 general election, where it secured five seats. The CPB played a vital role in the 1990 mass uprising against Ershad.

In 1991, following the collapse of Soviet‑style socialism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the CPB entered a period of internal discussion regarding its future direction. Party leaders were divided between those who favoured dissolving the CPB in favour of a new democratic platform and those who supported maintaining the party in its original form. This debate grew in 1993 when the two opposing groups arranged separate conventions in Dhaka. The Marxist–Leninist group, in their convention held on 15 June 1993, resolved in favour of the independent existence of the CPB and had their new central executive committee formed with Shahidulla Chowdhury as president and Mujahidul Islam Selim as general secretary. A Workers Party of Bangladesh faction merged with CPB in February 2010.

The party played a leading role in the 2013 Shahbag protests, demanding the trial of war crimes of 1971. During the premiership of Sheikh Hasina, the party organised anti-government protests and boycotted 2014 and 2024. The party actively participated in the July mass uprising in 2024.

Organisation

Revolutionary internationalism is a cardinal aspect of the party's policy principles. Democratic centralism is the guiding organisational principle of the CPB. The party congress, which is convened every 4 years, is the supreme body of the party which elects a central committee accountable to it. The central committee is the highest organ of the party during the interval between the two congresses.

The CPB has organisations in 62 out of the 64 districts and 275 out of 520 upazilas in Bangladesh. The district and upazila committees coordinate and guide the activities of the zonal committees and the primary branches of the party. The party members are organised in these primary branches, The branches on their part organise "activist groups" which serve to prepare cadres for party membership. Besides party membership, the party also provides opportunity to include "associate members" from among supporters of the party.

The party members and activists are working in trade unions and mass organisations of agricultural workers, peasants, women, students, youth, children, teachers, doctors, lawyers, professionals, indigenous national minorities and aboriginal, cultural organszations etc. In spite of relatively small number of party members and associate members, the party is capable of mobilising several hundreds of thousands of people through its influence in these mass organisations.

The main organ of the party is Weekly Ekota (Translation: 'Unity'; Bengali: 'একতা')

Ideology and policies

Ideology

As a communist party, the CPB is committed to communism. The party identifies with Marxism–Leninism and maintains a class‑based analysis of society. It is organised as a vanguard party and pursues a united front strategy. It works with a strategy of bringing about a "revolutionary democratic transformation of society and state." The party has put forward a 17‑point programme in consonance with this strategic goal of "revolutionary democratic transformation".

After the fall of socialism in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the party has continued to advocate for the advancement of the rights of the working class, women, and ethnic and religious minorities.

Foreign Policy

The party is known for regularly voicing anti‑imperialist views, especially in its criticism of the foreign policies of the United States, India, and Pakistan. It firmly supports Palestinian independence and a one‑state solution and has voiced its opposition to the Gaza genocide by Israel.

The CPB expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemned Israeli military actions in the occupied Palestinian territories. These statements called for an immediate end to violence against civilians and urged the international community to uphold international law and protect Palestinian national rights. At a CPB rally in Dhaka held in response to the assault on Gaza, the party described the attacks as a violation of the ceasefire, attributed responsibility to broader imperialist forces, and accused the United States and its regional allies of supporting the offensive.

The CPB also issued a message of solidarity with the Cuban people and government, condemning the United States' economic, commercial, and financial blockade on Cuba and calling for its lifting. The party criticised the impact of the blockade over more than six decades, including its intensification during the COVID‑19 pandemic and Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The CPB maintains contacts with foreign envoys and political parties. As part of these activities, the party has hosted meetings and participated in events involving representatives of several countries.

In November 2024, Palestinian Ambassador Yousef S.Y. Ramadan attended a CPB‑organised discussion at the National Press Club in Dhaka marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The event was presided over by CPB President Shah Alam and featured contributions from party leaders, civil society figures, and cultural organisations.

The party met with the Chinese ambassador to discuss party‑to‑party relations and political cooperation. It also held a meeting with Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ during his official visit to Bangladesh, where the two sides discussed party‑to‑party relations, bilateral cooperation, and prospects for future economic and political engagement.

Political Positions

The party favours maintaining the current Constitution of Bangladesh and strongly supports the fundamental principles of nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism. It has repeatedly voiced opposition to any reversion of these principles. The CPB actively participated in the formulation of the July Charter following the July mass uprising but refused to sign it, alleging historical negationism related to the Liberation War.

The CPB has been working to bring together left‑wing forces to provide an alternative to the current political system. It has given special attention to strengthening the party and its mass organisations, increasing cohesion among communists, moving toward communist unity, and strengthening and expanding the Left Democratic Alliance.

The party has also criticised labour conditions in Bangladesh, especially workplace safety in hazardous industries. It has argued that repeated industrial accidents show failures in oversight and regulation, blaming both authorities and factory owners for not ensuring proper safety measures. It has called for stronger enforcement of labour laws, better safety standards, and greater accountability from employers.

The CPB and the LDA have opposed government plans to lease parts of Chittagong Port to foreign companies. They organised protests and symbolic blockades, arguing that foreign control of key terminals would undermine national interests and threaten workers' rights, and called for the withdrawal of the proposed lease agreements.

Election results

List of prominent members

Anil Mukherjee (1912–1982) secretary of the Central Committee

Badruddin Umar (1931–2025) Member of the CPB's central committee

Barun Roy (1922–2009) Member of parliament

Bishnu Chattopadhyay (1910–1971) Communist revolutionary killed by razakar forces during the liberation war

Hena Das (1924–2009) Female communist freedom fighter and anti-colonial revolutionary

Shaheed Tajul Islam (died 1 March 1984) — The leader of the Adamjee Majdur Trade Union who was killed in 1984. His death anniversary is observed by the CPB.

Mohammad Farhad (1938–1987) — Former leader of the CPB and member of the Bangladesh Parliament.

Nalini Das (1910–1982) Party orginiser in Barisal

Haider Akbar Khan Rono (1942–2024) secretary of the party's Dhaka city unit

Moni Singh (1901–1990) Founding member

Muzahidul Islam Selim

Shah Alam