In a post on X, the party stated, “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.”

The committee unanimously resolved to entrust Rahman with the responsibility of party chairman. The post had fallen vacant following the demise of Khaleda Zia, who served as both BNP chairperson and Bangladesh’s prime minister.

Tarique Rahman formally takes charge of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) after nearly four decades of association with the party, marked by organisational work and leadership roles at multiple levels.

He entered active politics in 1988, joining the BNP as a general member of its Gabtali upazila unit. In the run-up to the 1991 general elections, Rahman emerged as a key campaigner, travelling extensively with party chairperson and his mother Begum Khaleda Zia across the country.

Rahman’s focus on organisational reforms became evident in 1993 when he convened the BNP’s Bogura district conference, introducing leadership elections through secret ballots. The initiative later influenced similar democratic practices across other district units.

His rise within the party hierarchy continued in 2002 when the BNP Standing Committee appointed him senior joint secretary. In 2005, he spearheaded grassroots-level conferences nationwide, holding consultations with BNP units in every upazila of Bangladesh.

During the One-Eleven political crisis in 2007, Rahman was arrested and later allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment. He remained outside the country for 17 years before returning on December 25, 2025.

In 2009, he was elected senior vice-chairman of the BNP, and in 2018, following the imprisonment of Begum Khaleda Zia, he was appointed acting chairperson of the party, a position he held until his formal elevation as BNP chairman.-Agencies