Dhaka, February 17, 2026: Tarique Rahman, 60, has taken oath as Bangladesh’s prime minister after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won a commanding majority in the recent general election.
Rahman, the scion of the influential Zia family, is the son of former Bangladeshi leaders Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler turned president, and Khaleda Zia, the country’s first female prime minister. He became BNP chairman in early January 2026, following his mother’s death in December 2025 , having long shaped party strategy even while living in exile.
His political journey has been turbulent. Rahman spent 18 months in prison during a 2007 caretaker government crackdown, faced multiple criminal investigations in absentia, and lived abroad in London for nearly 17 years. Despite these setbacks, he retained significant influence within the BNP, enforcing party discipline and leading its strategies during his mother’s imprisonment.
Analysts say Rahman’s leadership marks the continuation of the Zia family legacy in Bangladesh politics, but his effectiveness as a national leader will now be closely watched.
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