From Detention and Exile to State Power: The Political Journey of Tarique Rahman
He was released on bail on September 3, 2008, and left for London on September 11 for medical treatment. While many speculated that his political career might fade in exile, he used the period abroad to reorganize and consolidate his party’s structure.
In December 2009, he was elected Senior Vice Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) at its fifth national council. Following the imprisonment of Khaleda Zia in 2018, he assumed the role of Acting Chairman, steering the party during a challenging phase.
After 17 years abroad, Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on December 25, drawing a large turnout of supporters. He later intensified nationwide campaigning ahead of the 13th parliamentary election.
According to official results, BNP secured 209 seats on its own and 212 with allies out of 297 constituencies, achieving an absolute majority. Tarique Rahman himself won from Bogura-6 and Dhaka-17.
On Tuesday (February 17), he took oath as Prime Minister at the South Plaza of the National Parliament, administered by President Mohammad Shahabuddin.
Born on November 20, 1967, in Karachi, Tarique Rahman became politically active in the late 1980s and formally joined BNP in 1988 at the grassroots level in Gabtoli, Bogura. Over the decades, his political career has seen imprisonment, exile, party leadership, and ultimately a return to state power—marking a dramatic chapter in Bangladesh’s contemporary political history.
