Tarique Rahman formally took over as the Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday night, in line with the party’s constitution, which marked a major leadership transition following the death of long-time party chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
The decision was announced after an emergency meeting of the BNP’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, held at the party’s Gulshan office in Dhaka. Tarique Rahman himself presided over the meeting, which began around 9:00pm.
Following the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that the Standing Committee had unanimously approved Tarique Rahman's appointment as Chairman in compliance with the constitution.
“The Standing Committee expressed its satisfaction that Tarique Rahman, who had been serving as the Acting Chairman, has now taken on the full responsibility of Chairman as stipulated in the party constitution,” Mirza Fakhrul said. He added that the meeting also offered prayers for the success of the new Chairman in leading the party.
In response to enquiries, the BNP Secretary General explained that the title of "Acting Chairman" is no longer applicable once the role of Chairman is taken.
The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
According to Article 7 (Ga), sub-clause 3 of the BNP constitution, if the chairman’s post becomes vacant for any reason, the Senior Vice Chairman automatically assumes the position for the remainder of the term until a new chairman is elected through the party’s constitutional process. Tarique Rahman, who had long served as senior vice chairman, therefore became the Chairman following Khaleda Zia’s death.
Tarique Rahman had been serving as Acting Chairman since February 2018, when Khaleda Zia was imprisoned and later became unable to perform organisational duties due to prolonged illness. Tarique Rahman has lived in exile in London, where he successfully led and oversaw the party's political and organisational activities for nearly seven years.
BNP sources say the formal transition was discussed within the party following Khaleda Zia’s death on 30 December. She was later buried beside her husband, BNP founder and former President Ziaur Rahman, at Zia Udyan near the parliament complex in Dhaka.
The BNP was founded on 1 September 1978 by Ziaur Rahman, who served as its first Chairman. After his assassination in 1981, Khaleda Zia gradually emerged as the party’s leader and went on to serve as BNP chairperson for more than four decades. She also served three terms as Prime Minister, winning parliamentary elections in 1991, 1996 and 2001.
Tarique Rahman joined the BNP as a grassroots activist in Bogura and became increasingly involved in national politics during the 1990s. He played a prominent role in the party’s election campaigns, particularly in 2001, and was appointed Senior Joint Secretary General in 2002. He was later elected Senior Vice Chairman at the party’s fifth national council in 2009.
Political analysts say Tarique Rahman’s elevation to the Chairman’s post formalises a leadership role he has effectively exercised for years but also places him at the centre of the BNP’s strategy as the party prepares for the upcoming national election amid a changing political landscape.
BNP leaders have described the transition as a continuation of the party’s constitutional process, while observers note that Tarique Rahman now faces the challenge of uniting the party, broadening its appeal and steering it through a critical period in Bangladesh’s politics.
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