BNP Secures Majority, Rahman Takes the Helm
Tarique Rahman is set to become Bangladesh’s new prime minister after his centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won enough seats to secure a parliamentary majority in the general election.At 60, Rahman now leads one of the two political dynasties that have dominated Bangladesh’s politics for decades. His rise to the top came shortly after the death of his mother, Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female prime minister and longtime BNP chief.
Supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party were seen celebrating outside the party’s office in the capital Dhaka as election results came in.
The BNP has claimed victory and its leader Tarique Rahman is expected to become prime minister. pic.twitter.com/AbihPEgnX6
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 13, 2026
A Political Legacy Shaped by Family
Rahman comes from the influential Zia family. His father, Ziaur Rahman, was a military ruler-turned-president who founded the BNP in 1978 and played a key role in Bangladesh’s independence struggle. He was assassinated in a military coup in 1981 when Rahman was still a teenager.
Rahman became active in the BNP in 2001 during his mother’s second term as prime minister. In 2002, he was promoted to a senior party role, a move critics at the time described as blatant nepotism. Over the years, he built a reputation as a tough enforcer within the party ranks.
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Controversy, Exile, and Political Comeback
Rahman’s career has long been shadowed by allegations of corruption and misuse of power, which he has consistently denied. In 2007, during a military-backed caretaker government, he was arrested on corruption charges and spent 18 months in prison. He later claimed he was tortured while in custody.
After his release, Rahman left Bangladesh for London, reportedly promising to step away from politics. He remained in exile for 17 years before returning to reclaim leadership of the BNP, setting the stage for his eventual rise to the country’s highest office.
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