&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Hindu businessman candidacy draws attention ahead of Bangladesh elections. Who is Krishna Nandi?")
Bangladesh elections 2026: As Bangladesh heads toward parliamentary elections on February 12, an unusual candidacy has begun drawing attention across the country. Krishna Nandi, a veteran Hindu businessman from Khulna, is contesting from the Khulna-1 constituency on a Jamaat-e-Islami ticket, a political pairing that has sparked debate in a deeply polarised electoral season. His entry into the race stands out not only because he belongs to a religious minority in a Muslim-majority country, but also because of his long association with Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party often viewed as having limited minority representation.
Who is Krishna Nandi? Businessman enters politics
Krishna Nandi, as per reports, hails from Dumuria in Khulna district and has spent more than four decades building a business network across multiple sectors. His commercial interests span construction materials like rods and cement, as well as motorcycles, fertiliser, tin, oil, and sugar.
Krishna Nandi's political connect
However, as per reports, despite his business background, Nandi’s connection to politics is not new. He has been associated with Jamaat-e-Islami since 2003, when the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar introduced him to the organisation. Nandi currently serves as president of Jamaat’s Hindu wing.
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Originally from the Khulna-5 constituency, Nandi is contesting from Khulna-1 after Parwar entered the race from Nandi’s home constituency. The Khulna-1 seat is considered politically significant, with minority voters expected to play a decisive role.
"I will go to Parliament and speak for Hindus. That's why I'm running for office," Nandi told Prothom Alo in a recent interview, arguing that Jamaat-e-Islami can represent citizens beyond religious lines.
Writing for Al Jazeera, he insisted that while for many his candidacy might be "unusual," for him it "reflects a deeper truth" about Bangladeshi politics. "My name is Krishna Nandi. I am a Hindu. I am a businessman. I am also a parliamentary candidate of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. For many readers, this combination appears unusual. For me, it reflects a deeper truth about politics in Bangladesh that has long been obscured by fear, misinformation and political convenience."
The elections are Bangladesh’s first since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from office in 2024 following months of protests and political upheaval. Since then, the country has been governed by a caretaker administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
