Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Tarique Rahman, in his first address on Saturday, February 14, urged citizens to prioritise national unity despite political differences, adding that collective strength comes from unity, while division weakens the country.
Rahman, who is set to become the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh saud, "Our paths and opinions may differ, but in the interest of the country, we must remain united."
"I firmly believe that national unity is a collective strength, while division is a weakness," Rahman added, as quoted by The Daily Star. Rahman, 60, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died last December, and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, did not immediately address the nation after the party's landslide win.
In the elections, the BNP swept to a landslide victory on Thursday, returning to power after nearly two decades. The official results released by the Election Commission showed the BNP won 213 of the 299 seats contested in the Jatiya Sangsad, or House of the Nation, well above the 151 required for a simple majority in the 300-member Parliament.
These were the first polls since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ending more in restraint than jubilation. In a statement issued early on Friday, the BNP urged supporters to avoid victory processions and instead offer special prayers. “Despite winning by a large margin, no celebratory procession or rally shall be organised,” the party said.
Who Is Tarique Rahman?
Rahman formally entered politics in 1988 at the grassroots level of the BNP and rose swiftly through the party ranks, eventually becoming its senior joint secretary general. He later took charge as acting chief when Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment and ill health kept her away from active politics. Supporters have long viewed him as the natural heir to the Zia legacy and the ideological torchbearer of the BNP’s brand of Bangladeshi nationalism.
In 2008, Rahman left Bangladesh for London, citing what he described as politically motivated persecution. He remained in exile for nearly 17 years, a period during which the BNP weakened amid arrests, internal divisions and declining grassroots connect. That phase ended dramatically in December 2025, when Rahman returned to Bangladesh, immediately reshaping the political landscape.
With the BNP heading for a commanding majority, Rahman’s rise marks not just a personal political return but a broader revival of the Zia family’s influence, positioning him at the helm of Bangladesh’s next political chapter.
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