The political heir who returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile now stands at the centre of power

Bangladesh stands on the cusp of a political transition with Tarique Rahman, the long-exiled heir to a powerful dynasty, emerging at the centre of power following his party’s sweeping election success.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has declared a resounding parliamentary victory in the country’s first national vote since the 2024 uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, with Reuters reporting the scale of the mandate and its significance for restoring stability.

Rahman’s ascent marks a dramatic turnaround. Only weeks before the election, he returned to Dhaka in December 2025 after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile in Britain, far removed from Bangladesh’s volatile politics.


At 60, the BNP leader was preparing to take charge of the South Asian nation of about 170 million people, driven by an ambition to “do better” than the towering figures who defined his past.

His rise also closes a deeply personal circle shaped by loss, imprisonment, exile and inheritance.

Also read: PM Modi looks forward to working with Tarique Rahman, vows support for inclusive Bangladesh

A childhood shaped by conflict and dynasty

Born when Bangladesh was still East Pakistan, Rahman’s political story began early.

During the 1971 independence war, he was briefly detained as a child, an episode his party later described as making him one of the youngest prisoners of war, according to AFP.

He was just 15 when his father, former president Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981. The killing entrenched a rivalry between the Zia family and the family of Sheikh Hasina that would dominate Bangladesh’s politics for decades.

Rahman grew up within the political orbit of his mother, Khaleda Zia, who went on to serve multiple terms as prime minister in a bitter power struggle with Hasina.

He later recalled accompanying his mother on campaign trails, describing how gradual exposure drew him into politics.

Tarique Rahman: Meet Sheikh Hasina's arch rival's son who is set to govern Bangladesh after BNP's huge victory

Arrest, allegations and years in exile

Rahman’s career was long shadowed by controversy. Diplomatic cables cited by AFP portrayed him as a divisive and corruption-tainted figure, while Bangladeshi authorities arrested him on corruption charges in 2007. He has said he was tortured in custody.

In 2008 he left for London, where multiple cases proceeded in absentia, including a life sentence linked to a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally, an accusation he consistently denied.

Rahman maintained the charges were politically motivated and offered an apology for any “unwanted” mistakes, AFP reported.

The collapse of Hasina’s government after the 2024 uprising transformed his fortunes. Courts later cleared him of the most serious charges, dismantling the legal barriers that had kept him abroad and enabling his December 2025 return after 17 years.

Also read: Bangladesh vote a “well-planned farce”, says Sheikh Hasina, pressing for Awami League comeback as BNP triumphs

Return, grief and a rapid political takeover

Rahman’s homecoming carried both celebration and sorrow. AFP reported that he spoke of “mixed feelings” on returning to the country where he was born and raised, joy quickly overtaken by grief as his ailing mother died just days after his arrival.

“When you come home after so long, any son wants to hug his mother,” he said. “I didn’t have that chance.”

Within days, he assumed leadership of the BNP and spearheaded its election campaign, addressing massive rallies while still mourning.

His re-entry energised party workers and reshaped the electoral landscape at a moment when Bangladesh was governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus following Hasina’s ouster.

Also read: Tarique Rahman finally steps into the spotlight, set to be Bangladesh PM

From exile to the threshold of power

Rahman’s return was not merely symbolic. Reuters and AFP reporting indicates the BNP’s sweeping electoral performance has positioned him as the central figure in Bangladesh’s next government, potentially ending years of political uncertainty.

Married to a cardiologist and father to a lawyer daughter, Rahman had lived a relatively quiet life in Britain. That changed dramatically with his December comeback, which AFP described as a hero’s welcome that even turned his pet cat into a viral social media image.

Now, he faces what he calls an “immense” task: rebuilding a nation he argues was left weakened by the previous regime and delivering on promises of reform, unity and stability after years of turmoil.