Dhaka / London:
In a major political declaration, heavyweight Bangladeshi politician Tarique Rahman announced on Monday that he would return “soon” to Bangladesh to contest the first elections since the 2024 mass uprising. Rahman has been in self-imposed exile for 17 years.
Rahman, 59, is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the heir to Bangladesh’s long-time ruling family. He serves as the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), widely viewed as a key frontrunner in the elections, which are due in February 2026.
Speaking from London to BBC Bangla, Rahman stated: “For some reasonable reasons my return hasn’t happened… but the time has come, and I will return soon, God willing.”
The upcoming polls follow the mass movement that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year, ending her 15-year hardline rule that had severely suppressed the BNP. Since Hasina’s fall, Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him: a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally.
Rahman, who has become an outspoken voice for BNP supporters on social media, explicitly confirmed his political intentions: “I am running in the election.” When asked about the possibility of assuming the office of prime minister, he stated, “The people will decide.”
He also addressed the health of his 80-year-old mother, Khaleda Zia, who suffered ill health after being jailed during Hasina’s tenure. Rahman claimed she “went to jail in good health and returned with ailments, she was deprived of her right to proper treatment.” He added that “if her health permits, she will definitely contribute to the election.”
Rahman’s return marks a critical inflection point for Bangladesh as its political forces realign ahead of a highly anticipated election.
