Tarique Rahman appointed BNP chairman: Tarique Rahman, son of former Prime Minister and BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia officially took charge as the Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday. His appointment was approved by the party’s Standing Committee, just days after the death of his mother. Rahman was arrested in 2007. He was later permitted to leave Bangladesh for medical treatment and remained abroad for 17 years before returning on December 25, 2025.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed the development, saying the decision was made during a meeting of the Standing Committee at the party’s Gulshan office.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the party wrote, “Mr Tarique Rahman has assumed office as the Chairman of the BNP. Following the passing of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister, national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, the position of party Chairman became vacant.”
Mr. Tarique Rahman has assumed office as the Chairman of the BNP.
Following the passing of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister, national leader Begum Khaleda Zia, the position of party Chairman became vacant. In line with the BNP constitution, a meeting of the National… pic.twitter.com/X4gfwQGOAK
— Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) January 9, 2026
The committee unanimously agreed to hand Rahman the responsibility of leading the party. The post had remained vacant after Khaleda Zia’s death, who had served both as BNP chairperson and as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Tarique Rahman’s political journey
Tarique Rahman has now formally taken charge of the BNP after being associated with the party for nearly 40 years. His journey includes years of organisational work and leadership roles at different levels.
He stepped into active politics in 1988, joining the Gabtali upazila unit of the BNP as a general member. Ahead of the 1991 national elections, he became a key campaigner, travelling across the country with his mother, Begum Khaleda Zia.
Rahman showed his interest in organisational reforms in 1993 when he organised the BNP’s Bogura district conference and introduced leadership elections through secret ballots. This idea later inspired similar democratic practices in other district units.
Steady climb within the BNP
His rise continued in 2002 when the BNP Standing Committee made him senior joint secretary. In 2005, he led grassroots-level conferences across the country and met BNP workers from every upazila in Bangladesh.
During the political turmoil of 2007, known as the One-Eleven crisis, Rahman was arrested. He was later allowed to leave the country for medical treatment and stayed abroad for 17 years before returning on December 25, 2025.
In 2009, he became the senior vice-chairman of the BNP. In 2018, after Begum Khaleda Zia was jailed, he was appointed acting chairperson of the party — a role he held until being officially named BNP chairman.