Dhaka – Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s new prime minister on Tuesday, , following his party’s decisive victory in recent parliamentary elections. The 60-year-old leader is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and assassinated President Ziaur Rahman, and will serve a five-year term.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin oversaw the oath-taking ceremony, alongside dozens of newly appointed cabinet members and government officials. “I will faithfully perform my duties as Prime Minister of the government in accordance with the law,” Rahman stated during the ceremony, which took place outside the parliament building.
Rahman’s appointment marks the end of the caretaker government led by Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who oversaw elections widely considered relatively peaceful and accepted by international observers.
Prior to the swearing-in, newly elected Members of Parliament pledged allegiance to Bangladesh, with the BNP selecting Rahman as their leader.
Significant Challenges for the New Government
The incoming Rahman administration faces immediate challenges, including restoring political stability, rebuilding investor confidence, and revitalizing key industries such as the garment sector following prolonged disruption caused by the Gen Z-led uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s government in .
The BNP-led coalition secured 212 seats out of a total of 350 parliamentary seats. The 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamic party, won 77 seats and will form the opposition.
“This victory belongs to Bangladesh, it belongs to democracy,” Rahman said in his victory speech on . “This victory belongs to the people who have aspired and sacrificed for democracy.” He also appealed for unity amidst years of sharp political polarization.
“We will embark on a journey in a fragile economic situation due to the previous authoritarian regime, weakened constitutional and legal institutions, and a deteriorating law and order situation,” he added.
Shafiqur Rahman, 67, a leader of Jamaat, stated his party would be a “vigilant, principled, and peaceful opposition.”
Rahman’s primary rival, Sheikh Hasina of the Bangladesh Awami League, is currently in exile in India and has denounced the election as unfair to her party. She has been sentenced to death in absentia by a Bangladeshi court on charges of crimes against humanity related to hundreds of deaths during the Gen Z-led uprising.
Bangladesh’s parliamentary elections directly elect 300 members, with 50 reserved seats for women allocated proportionally.
Who is Tarique Rahman?
Rahman is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP. Ziaur Rahman was killed during a military coup in . Khaleda Zia entered politics after her husband’s death and first came to power in .
Rahman has served as the party’s acting chairman since his mother’s imprisonment in .
He returned to Bangladesh in after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile following mass protests in that led to Hasina’s ouster.
Rahman relocated to London in for medical treatment and remained there while facing several criminal cases in his home country. He was convicted in absentia on charges including those related to an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina. These convictions were overturned after Hasina was removed from power in , removing legal obstacles to his return.
“Making Many People Uneasy”
Rahman rose through the political ranks alongside his mother, Khaleda Zia, who alternated in power with Hasina in a long and acrimonious duel. “In my constituency, I often came and campaigned,” Rahman said. “From there, slowly, I started getting involved in politics.”
However, his career has been shadowed by allegations of corruption and abuse of power. A US diplomatic cable described him as “inspiring little confidence, but making many people uneasy.” Another cable labeled him a “symbol of kleptocratic governance and political violence,” even accusing him of being “extraordinarily corrupt.”
Arrested on corruption charges in , Rahman alleged he was tortured while in detention. He left for London a year later, facing a number of cases in absentia, all of which he denies as politically motivated.
Speaking to the press, he also offered an apology. “If there have been any unintended mistakes, we apologize,” he said.
He acknowledged the tasks ahead are “huge”: rebuilding a country he believes was “destroyed” by the previous government.