Tarique Rahman Poised to Become Bangladesh Prime Minister After Landmark Election Victory

Tarique Rahman is on the brink of becoming Bangladesh’s next prime minister, marking a dramatic political comeback less than two months after returning from nearly 20 years in self-imposed exile in London. According to local broadcaster Ekattor TV, a coalition led by his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) crossed the halfway mark in Thursday’s parliamentary election, positioning Rahman to lead the country his parents once governed.

The 60-year-old BNP leader left Bangladesh in 2008 after being detained during a military-backed caretaker administration’s anti-corruption crackdown. Following his release, he sought medical treatment abroad and remained in London as his party struggled politically under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina, leader of the Awami League, was ousted in August 2024 after a youth-led uprising and is now in exile in New Delhi.

Rahman returned to Dhaka last Christmas to a hero’s welcome, accompanied by his cardiologist wife and barrister daughter. Since then, he has reshaped his public image, distancing himself from accusations that he once operated a parallel power structure during his mother Khaleda Zia’s 2001–2006 tenure as prime minister. Although previously convicted in absentia on corruption charges and sentenced over a 2004 grenade attack, Rahman denied wrongdoing and was acquitted after Hasina’s removal.

Campaigning on democratic reform and economic diversification, Rahman has pledged to introduce a two-term, 10-year limit for prime ministers to prevent authoritarian rule. He also aims to recalibrate Bangladesh’s foreign policy to attract investment while avoiding overreliance on any single global power. Economically, he plans to reduce dependence on garment exports by expanding industries such as leather goods and toys, while increasing financial support for low-income families.

Emphasizing reconciliation over revenge, Rahman says his priority is restoring democratic institutions, accountability, peace, and stability in Bangladesh.