The title compound, C20H14N4, is a new polymorph of the previously reported structures, which were ortho-rhom-bic, space group Pbca [Bei et al. (2000). Acta Cryst. C56, 718-719] and monoclinic, space group P21/c [Dudd et al. (2003). Green Chem. 5, 187-192]. The asymmetric unit consists of two independent mol-ecules in which the dihedral angels between the central benzene ring and the outer benzimidazole ring systems are 16.81 (10) and 14.23 (10)° in one molecule and 26.09 (10) and 37.29 (10)° in the other. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯N and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds into a tape running along the c-axis direction.