After years in the wilderness, Islamist groups in Bangladesh are mobilizing for what they see as their biggest political opening in decades. The upcoming February elections, following the ouster of the previous secular regime, have created a power vacuum that religious parties are eager to fill.

Groups like Jamaat-e-Islami are holding massive rallies, promising justice and Islamic governance. Their resurgence worries secular activists and regional neighbors like India, who fear a shift towards religious conservatism. For millions of Bangladeshi voters tired of corruption, however, the Islamists offer a disciplined, if controversial, alternative.