Dhaka: As the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) celebrates a sweeping victory in Bangladesh’s latest general elections, the spotlight has firmly returned to Tarique Rahman, a figure who has long shaped and symbolised the party’s fortunes. As the BNP sweeps the polls, with him winning on both seats he contested, Rahman is set to become the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Who Is Tarique Rahman?
Rahman, heir to one of Bangladesh’s most influential political families, has emerged as the central face of the BNP’s historic comeback. Born on November 20, 1965, in Dhaka, he is the eldest son of former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, two towering figures in the country’s political history.
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.
Tarique Rahman's Dramatic Return To Bangladesh
His comeback proved pivotal. Within days of his return, Rahman assumed the leadership of the BNP and led it into the 13th general election, marking his full re-entry into frontline politics. Five days after his return to Bangladesh, his mother, Khaleda Zia, passed away, closing a defining chapter in Bangladesh’s political history and further consolidating Rahman’s position as the party’s undisputed leader.
Since his return on December 25, the 60-year-old emerged as the visible face of the BNP campaign. His rallies drew large crowds, reviving the party’s traditional support base and tapping into the legacy of his father, General Ziaur Rahman.
In the elections, BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman contested from two constituencies and secured victories in both, according to unofficial results. In Dhaka-17, Rahman polled 72,699 votes, defeating Jamaat-e-Islami candidate S M Khaliduzzaman, who received 68,300 votes, a margin of 4,399 votes.
Dhaka Divisional Commissioner and returning officer Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury announced the result around 4:00 am on Friday, noting that voting was held at 125 centres in the constituency, including postal ballots.
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.
