Tarique Rahman says he will return soon, plans to contest election
PARBATTA NEWS DESK
Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of Bangladesh’s main political party, said he plans to return to the country “soon” and take part in the national election expected early next year.
In a rare interview broadcast by BBC Bangla on Sunday, Mr. Rahman, who has lived in exile in London since 2008, said he would “be with the people” when Bangladesh holds what he described as a long-awaited, participatory vote.
“For valid reasons, it hasn’t yet happened,” he said. “But the time has come. Inshallah, I will return soon.”
This was his first on-record interview with any media outlet in nearly two decades. Speaking virtually from London to BBC Bangla editor Mir Sabbir and senior journalist Qadir Kallol, Mr. Rahman outlined his plans to contest the polls and rebuild his party’s domestic presence after years of political turmoil.
Mr. Rahman said the BNP wants elections to be held as early as possible, arguing that a fresh mandate would help restore political stability after the fall of the Awami League government in July.
“For 17 years, people’s political rights were taken away and their economic progress denied,” he said. “A truly elected government will address their demands.”
The interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has indicated that polls will be held in February 2026. Mr. Rahman said his party was “choosing to have confidence” that the process would proceed as planned.
He said the BNP’s candidate selection would focus on “publicly supported figures” with deep local ties, rather than on those backed by wealth or family connections. The party, he added, had developed a 31-point reform agenda in consultation with other opposition groups to “rebuild the state with everyone who stood on the streets.”
Mr. Rahman rejected suggestions that he had been the mastermind of the mass protests that unseated the Awami League. “The masterminds were Bangladesh’s pro-democracy people, not any one person or party,” he said.
He said about 2,000 people were killed and 30,000 injured or disabled during the movement, calling on the state and political parties to stand by the victims’ families.
Responding to reports of post-uprising extortion and property seizures by BNP members, Mr. Rahman said the party had disciplined roughly 7,000 people for various organisational issues. “Policing is the state’s job,” he said. “If we form the government, any member engaged in unethical acts will face action.”
Mr. Rahman also said that those responsible for killings, disappearances, and corruption – whether individuals or political parties – “must face justice” under the law. “This is not revenge,” he said. “It is the rule of law.”
He said his mother, former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, could play a role in the election “if her health allows.”
