From exile to power: The rise of Bangladesh’s new leader

When Tarique Rahman, who is set to become the prime minister of Bangladesh, went into exile in 2008 after being charged with bribery and corruption, many Bangladeshis wrote him off. He was the scion of a political dynasty and, in a country often described as a kleptocracy, it seemed he was finally being held to account.

Nearly two decades later, he has returned to seal a triumphant reversal of fortunes.

Tarique arrived in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, in December, as the country was gearing up for one of the most significant elections in its history. The vote follows a student revolution that demanded fundamental political change, and Tarique led his party to a landslide victory by positioning himself as a man of the people.

Tarique has promised to address the demands of the protest movement — a stronger democracy, less corruption, and more opportunity.

After casting his vote on Thursday morning at a polling station in a wealthy enclave of Dhaka, Tarique, 60, delivered brief comments pledging that his Bangladesh Nationalist Party would deliver on the pledge for change.

“If we win, our next priority will be to improve the law and order situation so that people can feel safe,” Tarique said, as police officers and army troops shooed away those who got too close, part of a huge security net around the election.

“If we can form the government, we’ll start working on that from day one,” Tarique said, before he jumped into a waiting SUV Policemen on toffee-colored horses kept the crowds at bay as the vehicle inched its way toward the BNP office, about a block away.

On Friday, as votes were still being counted, it became clear that his party would lead the new government, most likely with a large majority.

It was rarely in doubt that Tarique’s party would win, with the Awami League — the party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, an autocratic leader who was ousted by the student revolution in 2024 — banned from participating in the election. The Awami League and the BNP have traded power for much of the almost 55 years since Bangladesh split from Pakistan and became a nation. Hasina is a member of Bangladesh’s other political dynasty.

The BNP’s main opposition this time was Jamaat-e-Islami, which has long pushed for a society based on Islamic law but formed an alliance with 10 other parties, including the National Citizen Party, created last year by leaders of the student revolution. While it appeared to have picked up seats, it may not have won enough to exert much influence over the BNP.

In an interview with The New York Times in his office days before the election, Tarique seemed ready to reclaim his inheritance. “We are very confident that, Inshallah, we’ll be forming the next government,” he said.

On the campaign trail, Tarique appeared aware of the challenge of positioning the BNP as a party of change. He spoke directly to the demands of students, sending a message of inclusivity with his “Bangladesh before all” slogan. The BNP’s manifesto mirrored the progressive vision that many student protesters had for their country, including greater participation of women in political life, more economic opportunity and the rule of law.

The BNP had been a party of change before under his mother’s leadership, Tarique said in the interview. He promised that the party would work to empower women, as had his mother, Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister. Khaleda Zia was well regarded by many Bangladeshis, who supported her efforts to improve access to education for girls. She was also lauded for building Bangladesh as a garment manufacturing hub, which helped the country’s economic growth.

Both Tarique and Hasina are the offspring of foundational figures in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. Tarique’s father Ziaur Rahman, the first military leader of Bangladesh, founded the BNP in 1978. Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is considered a founding father of Bangladesh.

Hasina began to tighten her grip on the country after winning the 2014 election. Khaleda Zia served as chair of the BNP until her death in late December, despite facing a barrage of legal troubles, leaving Tarique to manage the party’s affairs from Britain. Hasina, 78, fled to India after her ouster and remains there.

Tarique has faced his own challenges. In March 2007, six months after his mother had relinquished power and a military government had stepped in, the police arrested Tarique on charges of extortion, as part of a sweeping anti-corruption drive. He has denied any wrongdoing.

He left Bangladesh in 2008 and did not return until December.

Asked if he was enjoying being back home, Tarique said, “Not exactly,” adding, “because I see a lot of challenges ahead of me.”

Voters decided to give his family and his party, another chance.

Milon Almazee, a businessman in Dhaka, said he supported Tarique for his maturity, and thought he would have working knowledge of government because he was the son of a former prime minister.

“His speech, his diplomacy and his behavior are better than before,” Almazee said. “He is smarter now.”