Tarique, Shafiqur, Nahid, Jara on Facebook: Who has how many followers, who tops the list

Election campaigning on social media is no longer a new concept. It has become a major platform for candidates to connect easily with voters. Alongside rallies, street meetings and door-to-door campaigning, many candidates are now placing strong emphasis on social media as well.

Among all social media platforms, Facebook remains the most popular in Bangladesh. Political parties and independent candidates maintain their own pages and accounts there. A key point of interest is how many followers each candidate has on Facebook.

The top leaders of the country’s two major political parties contesting the 13th Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) elections, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami both have their own Facebook pages.

BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman has 5.6 million (56 lakh) followers, while Jamaat ameer Shafiqur Rahman has 2.3 million (23 lakh). Meanwhile, convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP) Nahid Islam has 1.2 million (12 lakh) followers on Facebook.

Beyond party chiefs, other leaders of the parties also have hundreds of thousands of followers of their own. Many independent candidates are equally active on Facebook, with large followings. For instance, Tasnim Jara has more than 7.1 million (71 lakh) followers.

Analysts say, having a large social media following helps campaign outreach and builds a candidate’s public profile. However, a high follower count does not guarantee electoral success. Social media campaigning is considered one tool among many to gain success.

Former US President Barack Obama was one of the first to use social media innovatively in election campaigns, particularly during the 2008 presidential race. He ran election campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. Meanwhile, the “Yes We Can” music video consisted of Obama’s speeches went viral fast.

As social media use has expanded globally, so has its role in election campaigning—along with various strategies and counter-strategies to influence voters. In Bangladesh’s current election, artificial intelligence (AI) is also being used to create videos and images for both promotion and disinformation.

Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Digital Right, a research organisation focused on technology and information systems, told Prothom Alo that the advantage of social media campaigning is the ability to reach large numbers of people and specific groups very fast. The downside, he said, is that religious hatred and violence can spread just as rapidly.

The popularity or follower numbers on social media will not be a decisive factor in election results believes Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury. Many candidates who lack a strong online presence still wield significant influence through grassroots politics, he added.

According to a survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in September 2025, more than 56 per cent of households in the country use the internet.

Data from the website Hashmeta suggests Bangladesh may have over 45 million (4.5 crore) Facebook users. TikTok users are estimated at 15-18 million (1.5-1.8 crore), while YouTube users number around 35 million (3.5 crore). By comparison, the number of voters in the upcoming election stands at approximately 127.7 million (12.77 crore).

The country’s national parliamentary election will be held on 12 February. A total of 1,994 candidates are contesting. Campaigning began on 23 January and will continue until 10 February.

Analysis shows that young people are most active on social media, although experienced and senior politicians are increasingly using these platforms as well.

A review of high-follower candidate pages shows that many post daily updates, sharing their campaign activities, voter interactions and video messages outlining their plans if elected.

BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman’s verified Facebook page was created in February 2009 and has 5.6 million (56 lakh) followers. He is contesting from Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17 constituencies.

His page follows three other pages, those of his mother and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, his daughter Zaima Rahman, and the BNP. His election campaign activities are shared through Tarique Rahman’s page.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir (Thakurgaon-1) has around 950,000 followers on his verified page. BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed (Cox’s Bazar-1)’s verified Facebook page has 218,000 followers.

Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman is contesting the Dhaka-15 constituency. His verified Facebook page has 2.3 million (23 lakh) followers. The page was created in April 2015 and follows only Jamaat-e-Islami’s official Facebook page. The Jamaat chief uses his Facebook page to highlight his election campaign activities.

Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Porwar (Khulna-5) has 530,000 followers on his verified Facebook page, and the party’s nayeb-e-ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher is followed by 276,000 Facebook users.

NCP convener Nahid Islam is contesting the elections in Dhaka-11 constituency. His Facebook page, created in September 2024, has 1.2 million (12 lakh) followers and is used to share his election campaign activities. He also has another verified account with 1.4 million (14 lakh) followers.

Around 333,000 users follow NCP member secretary Akhter Hossen on Facebook. However, the party’s chief organiser for the southern region, Hasnat Abdullah, has a larger following of 3.4 million (34 lakh), while chief organiser for the northern region, Sarjis Alam, has 3.1 million (31 lakh) followers.

Among the political parties, the BNP’s Facebook page has 4.8 million (48 lakh) followers. Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami’s page has 3.1 million (31 lakh), and the NCP is followed by 1.5 million (15 lakh) users on Facebook.

Mahmudur Rahman Manna, president of Nagorik Oikko, has 237,000 followers on his verified Facebook page. The page was created in March 2019. He is contesting the Dhaka-18 and Bogura-2 constituencies.

Andaleeve Rahman Partho, chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), is contesting the election from Bhola-1 (Bhola Sadar) as an ally of the BNP. His verified Facebook page has 3.2 million (32 lakh) followers and was created in January 2009.

Another BNP ally Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of the Ganosamhati Andolan, has 336,000 followers on Facebook. He is contesting the elections from the Brahmanbaria-6 constituency.

Nurul Haque, president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, opened his Facebook page in January 2020 and has 975,000 followers. He is contesting the elections from Patuakhali-3 constituency.

Bobby Hajjaj, founding chairman of the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM), has 661,000 followers on his verified Facebook page. He is contesting from Dhaka-13 constituency with the BNP’s ‘Dhaner Sheesh (Sheaf of Paddy)’ symbol.

Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) has joined Jamaat-e-Islami in a 10-party electoral alliance. The party’s chairman, Mojibur Rahman Manju, is contesting from Feni-2. His Facebook account has around 94,000 followers.

A review of the Facebook pages of several high-profile candidates shows that independent candidate Tasnim Jara, contesting the Dhaka-9 constituency, leads in terms of followers. She has more than 7.1 million (71 lakh) followers on Facebook.

Tasnim Jara’s Facebook page is relatively old, having been created in February 2017. She resigned from the National Citizen Party (NCP) after the party entered into an electoral understanding with Jamaat-e-Islami and is now contesting as an independent candidate.

Ahead of the election, Tasnim Jara used her Facebook page to raise funds online as an NCP candidate, collecting more than Tk 4.7 million (Tk 47 lakh) through crowdfunding.

Rumeen Farhana is also contesting the elections as an independent candidate after failing to secure a BNP nomination. Her verified Facebook page has 729,000 followers. She is contesting from the Brahmanbaria-2 constituency.

Among female candidates, BNP’s candidate in Dhaka-14, Sanjida Islam Tulee has 58,000 followers on her Facebook page, while NCP’s candidate in Dhaka-19, Dilshana Parul has 64,000 followers.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB)’s candidate in Netrakona-4, Joly Talukder has 7,000 followers while, the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Basad)’s candidate in Barishal-5, Manisha Chakraborty has 34,000 followers.

Mahdi Jahin, a first-year student from the Department of Finance at the University of Dhaka who will be voting for the first time in the 13th parliamentary election, told Prothom Alo that a candidate’s standing should not be measured by follower counts alone.

He said campaign strategy matters more, and having a large social media following does not necessarily translate into electoral victory.