Bangladesh resumes its democratic journey today after a long 15 years of autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman was sworn-in as Prime Minister with its party’s landslide victory in 13th national polls. Tarique Rahman charismatically led his party to win in 211 seats in the parliamentary elections widely endorsed by the world, including the European Union (EU) election observers as they called the polls fair and credible saying no instance of fraudulence or vote rigging was found.
The nation participated in a free, fair election on 12 February 2026, for what Bangladesh had been waiting for almost 20 years. The people of Bangladesh had been dreaming of such competitive festive elections for a long time. Their dream finally came true in the second week of this month, and they got a truly elected prime minister indeed. Tarique Rahman has been the first elected premier by popular vote since 2008.
The Bangladesh people really lost confidence in the electoral process as they saw three rigged elections orchestrated by the fallen Awami League, the party was deposed from power in a student-mass uprising that saw almost 1,400 people killed and 20,000 injured. But, the nation this time rebounded in democratic norms that were lost by the voter less elections in the 2014 elections, nighttime elections in 2018 and the 2024 elections.
Tarique Rahman, son of Independence Proclaimer and slain President Ziaur Rahman and three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, appears to be a true statesman through democratic elections. But the way of his being a statesman was not a bed of roses. He struggled inhumanely and went through a lot of sufferings even staying in exile. He struggled for democracy, he fought with a fascist government for returning the rights to freedom of expression to the people, freedom of the press, the rights to vote, etc., resulting in the 2024 July Uprising and thereafter a free, fair election in 2026.
Tarique Rahman has long been a central figure in Bangladesh’s political discourse. His elevation to the premiership is seen by many within BNP as the continuation of a political legacy blended with promises of reform and modernisation.
Tarique Rahman began his political career in 1988 by obtaining primary membership in Gabtali Upazila, the historic birthplace of his father, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, in Bogura district, northern Bangladesh. He became a member of the Bogra district BNP in 1993. He got the opportunity to draw public opinion in favour of his party in the 1991 parliamentary elections. In the capacity of National Campaign Strategy Committee member of the party, Tarique Rahman coordinated the election campaign of five constituencies, in which his mother, Khaleda Zia, was contesting. Her thumping victory in all five constituencies proved his worth as a meticulous organiser to assume a future leadership role in the party.
Tarique Rahman learned politics for the welfare of the people and the country at an early age, as he was closely observing his mother’s generosity to the people and struggle for democracy against another autocrat, Ershad’s rule. He inherited good political norms and values from his parents, and he also took over another responsibility of electioneering in 2001. Tarique Rahman proved his leadership wisdom within the party as his strategy was a great hit in creating a nationwide wave in favour of the ‘paddy sheath’ symbol. His party won the elections with a two-thirds majority. Following the victory, the BNP Standing Committee, the highest decision-making body, unanimously appointed him as the Senior Joint Secretary-General in 2002.
Thus, when he was emerging in politics, conspiracies were there to exterminate him forever. Then, the infamous army-backed illegitimate 1/11 caretaker government came. He was subjected to intrigues by the Awami League and their associates at home and abroad. His estrangement from politics was sought by the 1/11 government through a series of utterly cruel, mischievous, and conspiratorial acts. He was put to physical and mental torture by law enforcement and secret service agencies to demoralise him and not to continue in politics. At one stage, he was imprisoned and tortured brutally in confinement for months together, disregarding the law of the land.
At one stage, he left the country with a grave spinal injury for London to get medical treatment, choosing the path of staying in exile by force. But his indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to his people couldn’t stop him; rather stand still with head high, struggled for the emancipation of the people of the country, leading the nation from the UK. Tarique Rahman was in constant touch with his fellow party workers to keep their spirits high and to continue to fight against the misrule of the Sheikh Hasina government, marked with anarchy, injustice, maladministration, corruption, curtailment of people’s right to vote, abrogation of fundamental rights, and the like. The fascist regime of Hasina filed seventeen fabricated cases in absentia against Tarique Rahman as a ploy to bar him from politics. He was the victim of political vengeance of the ousted fascist regime of Sheikh Hasina. Even his parents’ cantonment home was raged to the ground by Hasina in a bid to harass the Zia family. Despite political vengeance and vilifications against him, Tarique Rahman’s popularity saw an astonishing rise. He stands tall as the leader of the masses. He is the true inheritor of the legacy of his father. A natural politician, Tarique Rahman kept his party united, and its grassroots base continues to expand and solidify with mass support.
Despite living abroad, Tarique Rahman was nominated acting chairman of his party, not being the son of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, but with the quality of political wisdom and leadership eminence after her mother landed in jail in 2018 during Awami League misrule that marked another wrath of the deposed Sheikh Hasina on the Zia family.
While in exile, Tarique Rahman didn’t stop for even one day in the struggle for realising people’s rights. His fight for years and call to rise eventually awakened the nation as the people revolted against fascist Awami League rule, toppled Sheikh Hasina from state power and forced her to flee the country, ending her almost 16 years of autocratic rule on August 5, 2024, a new day for Bangladesh’s history.
Bangladesh became free again after the 1971 Liberation War, and the obstacles imposed on Tarique Rahman’s arrival to his beloved country were removed. Then the historic day 25 December, 2025 came when the valiant son of the nation, Tarique Rahman, touched down Bangladesh soil, strolled barefoot, took a fistful of soil and felt Bangladesh with the inner part of his heart. Then, his vibrant voice wafted in a mammoth crowd, saying, “I have a plan for the people and for the country”.
But, when the whole nation was like triumphant getting him after almost 17 years, Bangladesh got another bad news as his mother passed away just five days after his arrival. Then, on 9 January 2026, he became his party’s chairman as many analysts see his rise as inevitable.
Tarique Rahman’s rise in politics didn’t come inherently; rather, it was obvious for him to be at the helm of the state with the leadership quality he acquired by political farsightedness, insights, dedication and wisdom. He gained steady ground through the combination of hard work, skill, and patience in the hearts of millions. He affirms the promises to take the nation out of the morass of misrule, non-governance, oppression, coercion, subjugation and present the people with the rights they could not enjoy under a fascist regime in hold of state power for more than one and a half decades. His promises win people’s hearts, resulting in bringing a landslide victory for BNP in national polls. Today, Bangladesh reemerged as a democratic country and restarted its democratic course as Tarique Rahman was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
