Tarique Rahman poised to become Bangladesh’s next PM: Reuters

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has returned to Bangladesh after nearly two decades in exile and is on the brink of becoming the country’s next prime minister (PM), Reuters reported on Tuesday (February 10).

The report said opinion polls suggest that the 60-year-old, soft-spoken leader could secure victory in the national election scheduled for Thursday (February 12), marking a major turning point in his political career.

Rahman left Bangladesh in 2008 for medical treatment after being freed from detention during a military-backed caretaker government, when he was arrested as part of an anti-corruption drive.

Reuters noted that the political landscape shifted dramatically following a youth-led mass movement in August 2024 that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Rahman returned to the country in December amid strong public support, while former prime minister Sheikh Hasina remains in exile in New Delhi.

The report highlighted Rahman’s political lineage—his mother, Khaleda Zia, is a former prime minister and a dominant figure in Bangladeshi politics, while his father, the late President Ziaur Rahman, led the country from 1977 to 1981 after playing a key role in the Liberation War.

If elected, Rahman has pledged to establish an export processing zone (EPZ) in Dhaka’s Demra area and to rebuild Bangladesh’s international partnerships by attracting diversified foreign investment. He has emphasized balanced foreign relations rather than overreliance on any single country.

Rahman also criticized politics of revenge, saying they only cause harm and force people into exile, and stressed that Bangladesh’s immediate need is peace and stability, Reuters reported.