Tarique Rahman’s moment: From exile to the edge of power in Bangladesh

In a political turnaround few could have predicted, Tarique Rahman has moved from a 17-year exile in London to the cusp of becoming Bangladesh’s next Prime Minister — all within months.

The 60-year-old leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) now stands at the centre of a nation in flux. His party’s sweeping victory in the first general election since the ouster of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in 2024 marks a dramatic return to power for the BNP after nearly two decades in opposition.

For Rahman, the ascent is both personal and political — a journey from embattled exile to national frontrunner.

Born into power

Rahman was never far from politics. The son of former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, he inherited both legacy and expectation.

He formally joined the BNP in 1988 at the age of 23, founding the Ziaur Rahman Foundation the same year — an ostensibly apolitical platform that signalled the beginning of his public life. By the 1991 elections, he was travelling alongside his mother across the country, building grassroots connections and consolidating his place within the party.

Ahead of the 2001 polls, Rahman established a policy and outreach office in Dhaka to engage with civil society and address local governance concerns. The effort helped bolster the BNP-led alliance’s eventual victory.

Though he never held formal public office, critics alleged he exercised considerable influence from Dhaka’s Hawa Bhaban, where he was accused of running a “parallel administration” during the BNP’s tenure in power.

Exile and political resurrection

Rahman’s fortunes shifted dramatically after the fall of the BNP government in 2006. Arrested in March 2007 on corruption charges during caretaker rule, he was released on bail in September 2008 to seek medical treatment in London. His aides claimed he had been severely tortured in custody.

What followed was a 17-year exile.

Living in London’s Kingston area with his wife, Zubaida, a physician, and their daughter, Zaima, a lawyer, Rahman continued to steer party affairs from abroad. He was elected senior vice-chairman of the BNP in 2009 and later re-elected in 2016.

In 2018, after Khaleda Zia was jailed, Rahman became acting chairman of the party. During the Awami League’s rule, he faced nearly 100 cases — including several convictions in absentia — ranging from corruption to terror-related charges. Rahman consistently denied all allegations, accusing the government of political vendetta. Media outlets were barred from broadcasting his statements.

Courts have since cleared him of the charges, paving the way for his return on December 25 last year. Five days later, Khaleda Zia passed away after prolonged illness.

On January 9, Rahman formally assumed full leadership of the BNP. Within weeks, he had transitioned from grieving son to prime minister-in-waiting.

The leadership style

Those who have worked with Rahman describe him as measured and consultative.

Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, a professor at Dhaka University, describes him as “an extremely good listener” who consults party elders before making decisions. Rahman is known to hold the BNP Standing Committee in high regard, while also drawing on political advisers from the United Kingdom during the campaign.

He has carefully crafted the image of a family man — campaigning alongside his wife and daughter, projecting stability after years of turbulence.

As results became clear, supporters gathered outside his Gulshan office in Dhaka, eager for a glimpse of the man many now see as the country’s next leader. Rahman marked the moment by attending Friday prayers at a nearby mosque — a gesture widely read as a nod to the growing influence of Islamist forces, particularly the resurgence of Jamaat-e-Islami in the political landscape.

A nation to reconcile

Yet Rahman’s greatest challenge may lie beyond electoral victory.

Bangladesh remains politically polarised after years of intense rivalry between the BNP and the Awami League. The recent election cycle saw rising communal rhetoric and the dramatic ascent of Islamist forces.

Rahman has publicly sought to strike a balancing note.

In his final address before the polls, he declared: “Religion belongs to each individual, but the state belongs to all. People of every faith will practice their religion according to their beliefs. Ensuring peace and security for all citizens is the responsibility of the state.”

It was a direct appeal to minorities and secular voters uneasy about the country’s shifting political undercurrents.

Now, the man long seen as a dynastic heir must prove he can rise above legacy politics. The prodigal son has returned. The family man has claimed his inheritance.

The question that remains: can Tarique Rahman unite Bangladesh — and govern it beyond the shadow of its past?