Staff Reporter:
It was the night of 12 February, 2026. Thousands of people kept an eye on the TV screens as the 13th national election results were being published. The more the night got deeper, the more the hearts of the people were beating. Whenever the result of a constituency was being declared by the officials of Elec-tion Commission (EC) centrally, one section of people were raging with happiness and joy but the other section were plunging into despair. But, one thing glitters surpassing all odds that the beauty of democ-racy. The nation saw a free, fair election for what Bangladesh was waiting for almost 20 years. The peo-ple of Bangladesh had been dreaming of such competitive festive elections for long. Their dream finally came true in the second week of this month as they got a true elected prime minister, indeed.
Yes, it’s the Tarique Rahman, the Chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who actually has been the first elected premier by a huge majority votes. Tarique Rahman’s magical leadership led his party to get landslide victory with 211 seats in the parliamentary elections endorsed by the world, in-cluding European Union (EU) election observers’ team. EU observers called the polls fair and credible saying no instance of fraudulence or vote rigging was found.
The Bangladesh people really lost confidence in the electoral process as they saw three rigged elections orchestrated by the fallen Awami League, the party that was deposed from the power in a student-mass uprising that saw almost 1,400 people to be killed and 20, 000 to be injured. But, the nation this time rebounded in democratic a norm that was lost by the voter less elections in 2014, night time elections in 2018 and dummy elections in 2024.
Tarique Rahman, son of Independence Proclaimer and slain President Ziaur Rahman and three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, appears to be a true statesman through democratic elections. But the way of his being statesmanship was not a bed of roses. He struggled inhuman and went through a lot of sufferings even staying in exile. He struggled for democracy; he fought with a fascist government for returning the rights to freedom of expression to the people, freedom of the press, the rights to vote etc, resulting in 2024 July Uprising and thereafter a free, fair election in 2026.
Tarique Rahman was born on 20 November 1965, grew up in such a family atmosphere where the high-est ethical standards were maintained and moral values practiced by his parents in their day-to-day lives that is still found in his daily life. He started his debut in the politics in 1988 by getting primary mem-bership in Gabtali Upazila, the historic birthplace of his father Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, under Bogura district located in the northern Bangladesh. He became a member of the Bogura district BNP in 1993. He got opportunity to draw public opinion in favor of his party in 1991 parliamentary elections. In the capacity of National Campaign Strategy Committee member of the party, Tarique Rahman coor-dinated the election campaign of five constituencies his mother Khaleda Zia was contesting. Her thump-ing victory in all five constituencies proved his worth as a meticulous organizer to assume a future lead-ership role in the party.
Tarique Rahman learned politics for the welfare of the people and the country during his early age as he was closely observed his mother’s generosity to the people and struggle for democracy against another autocrat Ershad rule. He inherited a good political norms and values from his parents and he also took over another responsibility of electioneering in 2001. Tarique Rahman proved again his leadership wis-dom within the party as his strategy was a great hit in creating a nationwide wave in favor of the ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol. His party won the elections with a two-thirds majority. Following the victory, the BNP Standing Committee, the highest decision-making body, unanimously appointed him as the Senior Joint Secretary-General in 2002.
At one stage during the army-backed 1/11 caretaker government, he left the country with grave spinal injury for London to get medical treatment, choosing the path of staying in exile by force. But his in-domitable spirit and unwavering commitment to his people couldn’t stop him, rather stand still with head high, struggled for the emancipation of the people of the country, leading the nation online form the UK. Despite living abroad, Tarique Rahman was nominated acting chairman of his party as not being the son of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia but with the quality of political wisdom and leadership eminence after her mother landed in jail in 2018 during Awami League misrule that is marked a another wrath of the deposed Sheikh Hasina on the Zia family.
While in exile, Tarique Rahman didn’t stop talking even for one day in struggle for realizing people’s rights. His fight for years and call to rise eventually awaken the nation as the people revolted against fascist Awami League rule, toppled Sheikh Hasina from the state power and forced her to flee the coun-try, ending her almost 16 years autocratic rule on August 5, 2024, a new day for Bangladesh history.
On 9 January, 2026, he became his party’s chairman as many analysts see his rise inevitable.
Tarique Rahman’s rise in politics didn’t come inherently rather it was obvious for him to be at the helm of the state with leadership quality he acquired by political farsightedness, insights, dedication and wis-dom. He gained steady ground through the combination of hard work, skills, and patience in the hearts of millions. He affirms the promises to take the nation out of the morass of misrule, non-governance, oppression, coercion, subjugation and present the people with the rights they could not enjoy under a fascist regime for more than one and a half decades. His promises win people’s hearts resulting in bring-ing landslide victory for BNP in national polls. Yesterday, Bangladesh has re-emerged as a democratic country and restarted its democratic course as Tarique Rahman has been sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
