Dhaka: Tarique Rahman has made a dramatic political return after nearly 17 years. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under his leadership, crossed the majority mark of 151 seats in the national election. This strong victory has placed him in line to become Bangladesh’s next Prime Minister.
The 60-year-old leader is the son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He also won two seats - Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 - with very large victory margins. This marks a major comeback after living in London for many years in self-exile.
What His Election Affidavit Shows?
According to his election documents, Tarique Rahman declared an annual income of Tk 6.76 lakh (about Rs 5 lakh). He said this money comes from returns on shares, bonds and fixed deposits.
His total bank deposits are about Tk 1.23 crore (around Rs 92 lakh). Out of this, about Tk 31.6 lakh is kept in cash or savings accounts. The rest is in fixed deposits, some linked to his daughter.
His movable assets are very small. He declared furniture worth less than Tk 2 lakh and gold worth only Tk 2,950. He also owns over two acres of land in Bogura and some inherited land in Gazipur and Cox’s Bazar.
Wife’s Income And Assets Much Higher
His wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, has declared much higher income. She earns around Tk 35.6 lakh yearly (about Rs 26.7 lakh). Her bank deposits are about Tk 1 crore, including Tk 66.5 lakh in savings accounts.
She also owns land jointly and an 800-square-foot duplex house. She has lived in London for many years. Tax records show Tarique paid around Tk 1 lakh tax, while Zubaida paid about Tk 5.6 lakh.
Campaign Spending Raises Questions
The affidavit shows Tarique spent around Tk 30 lakh on campaigning in one seat alone. This money reportedly came from deposits and farm income. But his declared yearly income is much lower than campaign spending. This gap has raised questions among political observers.
Legal Cases And Corruption Allegations
In 2023, a Dhaka court sentenced Tarique to nine years jail and Zubaida to three years in a corruption case linked to 2007. The court said he illegally earned over Tk 4.82 crore and hid assets worth Tk 4.23 crore.
He was also earlier sentenced in a money laundering case linked to Tk 20.41 crore sent to Singapore. However, after political changes in Bangladesh, the Supreme Court cleared him and all 77 cases against him are now closed.
Supporters say these were political cases. Critics say serious questions still remain.
The Bigger Political Picture
Tarique now stands at the centre of Bangladesh politics. But the difference between declared income and political spending continues to attract attention. As he prepares for possible leadership, scrutiny over wealth and transparency may continue.
