Communist Party of Bangladesh Facts for Kids

For other uses, see Communist Party of Bangladesh (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Communist Party of Bangladesh বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি
Abbreviation	CPB
President	Mohammed Shah Alam
General Secretary	Ruhin Hossain Prince
Founded	1968; 57 years ago (1968) (as Communist Party of East Pakistan) 1971 (current form)
Split from	Communist Party of Pakistan
Headquarters	Mukti Bhaban, 2 Comrade Moni Singh Street, Purana Paltan, Dhaka
Newspaper	Muktijoddha (1971) Weekly Ekota (1972-present)
Student wing	Bangladesh Students' Union (nominal)
Youth wing	Bangladesh Youth Union
Trade union wing	Bangladesh Trade Union Centre
Membership (2022)	8,953
Ideology	Communism Marxism–Leninism
Political position	Far-left
National affiliation	DUF LDA
International affiliation	IMCWP
Colours	Red
MPs in the Jatiya Sangsad	Parliament dissolved
Mayors in the City Corporations	0 / 1
Councillors in the City Corporations	0 / 640
Chairmens in the District Councils	0 / 64
Chairmens in the Subdistrict Councils	0 / 495
Chairmans in the Union Councils	0 / 4,554
Election symbol

Party flag

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) is a political party in Bangladesh. It follows the ideas of communism and Marxism–Leninism. This means they believe in a society where everyone is equal and resources are shared.

History of the CPB
How the CPB is Organized
What the CPB Wants to Achieve
Election Results
Important Members of the CPB
See also

History of the CPB

How the Party Started

After India was divided in 1947, a new country called Pakistan was formed. This included what is now Bangladesh. In 1948, people from these areas who believed in communism formed the Communist Party of Pakistan. Nepal Nag became its first leader.

Most of the party's strength was in East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. East Pakistan was very far from West Pakistan, about 2,000 kilometers away. Also, the government in Pakistan made it hard for the party to operate. Because of these reasons, the communists in East Pakistan decided they needed their own separate party.

In 1968, they secretly held a meeting. They decided to form the Communist Party of East Pakistan. When Bangladesh became an independent country in 1971, this party changed its name to the Communist Party of Bangladesh.

Role in Bangladesh's Independence

The CPB played a very important part in the events leading up to Bangladesh's independence. They were involved in the big protests of 1969 and the non-cooperation movement in 1971.

The party also actively fought in the nine-month war for independence in 1971. They had a special group called the 'Special Guerilla Force'. This group fought against the Pakistan army. Many communists also joined other fighting groups like the Mukti Bahini and the new Bangladesh Army. Moni Singh, who later became the CPB's president, was part of the government that led Bangladesh to independence.

The Party in Independent Bangladesh

After Bangladesh became independent in 1971, the CPB could work openly and legally. They created a Trade Union Centre to help workers and their organizations.

In 1973, the CPB joined with other parties, including the Bangladesh Awami League, to form the Gana Oikya Jote (People's Unity Alliance). Their goal was to help establish socialism in the country.

However, in August 1975, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed. This led to military rule in Bangladesh. The CPB leaders and members faced harsh treatment. Many were arrested, and in 1977, the party was banned. The ban was lifted in 1978, and the leaders were released.

The CPB took part in elections and joined alliances against military rule. For example, they were part of a 15-party alliance against Hussain Muhammad Ershad's military government in 1983. They also played a key role in the movement that removed Ershad from power in 1990.

Challenges and Changes

In 1991, the CPB faced a big challenge. Many communist governments in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union collapsed. This caused a disagreement within the party. Some leaders wanted to change the party and become more democratic. Others wanted to keep the party as it was.

This disagreement became very strong in 1993. The group that wanted to keep the party's original form held a meeting. They decided that the Communist Party should continue to exist independently in Bangladesh. They elected Shahidulla Chowdhury as president and Mujahidul Islam Selim as general secretary.

In 2010, a part of the Workers Party of Bangladesh joined with the CPB.

How the CPB is Organized

The CPB believes in working with other communist parties around the world. Their main way of organizing is called Democratic centralism. This means that decisions are made by elected leaders, but everyone in the party is expected to follow those decisions.

The highest group in the party is the Party Congress. This meeting happens every four years. It elects a Central Committee that is in charge between Congresses. The Central Committee has a smaller group called the Presidium, which includes the President and General Secretary.

The CPB has groups in most of Bangladesh's 64 districts and many sub-districts. These local groups help guide the party's activities. Party members are part of small groups called 'primary branches'. These branches also train new members. The party also has 'associate members' who support the party but are not full members.

Even though the party has a smaller number of full and associate members (around 25,000), it can gather many thousands of people. This is because its members are active in many groups. These include groups for workers, farmers, women, students, young people, teachers, doctors, and other professionals.

The main newspaper of the party is called Ekota, which means 'Unity'.

What the CPB Wants to Achieve

The CPB's main goal is to bring about a 'revolutionary democratic transformation' in Bangladesh. This means they want to change society and the government to eventually achieve Socialism-Communism. They have a 17-point plan to reach this goal.

The party focuses on making itself and its related organizations stronger. They also want to unite different communist groups. The CPB works to bring together other left-wing parties to offer a different choice from the two main political parties in Bangladesh.

Election Results

The Communist Party of Bangladesh has participated in many national elections for the Jatiya Sangsad (the national parliament).

Election	Party leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1973	Mohammad Farhad	47,211	0.25%	0 / 300	New	7th	Extra-parliamentary
1979		75,455	0.39%	0 / 300	0	10th	Extra-parliamentary
1986		259,728	0.91%	5 / 300	5	7th	Opposition
1988		Boycotted		0 / 300	5	N/A	Extra-parliamentary
1991		407,515	1.19%	5 / 300	5	7th	Opposition
Feb 1996	Mujahidul Islam Selim	Boycotted		0 / 300	5	N/A	Extra-parliamentary
Jun 1996		48,549	0.11%	0 / 300	0	11th	Extra-parliamentary
2001		56,991	0.10%	0 / 300	0	10th	Extra-parliamentary
2008		42,331	0.06%	0 / 300	0	17th	Extra-parliamentary
2014		Boycotted		0 / 300	0	N/A	Extra-parliamentary
2018		55,421	0.07%	0 / 300	0	14th	Extra-parliamentary
2024	Shah Alam	Boycotted		0 / 300	0	N/A	Extra-parliamentary

Important Members of the CPB

Here are some notable people who have been part of the Communist Party of Bangladesh:

Shaheed Tajul Islam (died 1984) — He was a trade union leader who was killed in 1984. The CPB remembers his death every year.
Mohammad Farhad (1938 – 1987) — A former leader of the CPB and a member of the Bangladesh Parliament.
Haider Akbar Khan Rono - He was a secretary for the party's Dhaka city group.
Badruddin Umar - A member of the CPB's central committee.
Shahjahan Siraj - A current member of the CPB's central committee.
Moni Singh - One of the founding members of the party.
Mohammad Toaha - He served as the party's general secretary from 1964 to 1974.
Muzahidul Islam Selim
Manzurul Ahsan Khan

Communist Party of Bangladesh facts for kids

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