The US-based TIME magazine has described BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman as the “clear front runner” in Bangladesh’s upcoming 12 February election, according to an analysis published in its latest issue on Wednesday.
“Tarique Rahman is the clear front runner in the 12 Feb election, which was called after Hasina’s ouster in a student-led popular uprising 18 months ago,” the magazine wrote, citing an interview conducted with Rahman.
The article said Rahman is positioning himself as a “bridge between a political aristocracy that dates back to Bangladesh’s liberation struggle and the aspirations of its young revolutionaries.”
TIME noted the irony of Rahman’s growing prominence, recalling that as Bangladesh’s de facto opposition leader, his speeches were banned from local media for nearly a decade under the autocratic rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The interview took place in the garden of Tarique Rahman’s family home, described as “resplendent with bougainvillaea and marigolds”, marking his first interview since returning to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile.
“The thing is that I’m not very good at talking anyway… but if you ask me to do something, I try my best,” Rahman told the magazine.
According to TIME, supporters view Tarique Rahman as a “persecuted redeemer returning to save his beleaguered homeland”, while Tarique himself insists he is the right person to heal a deeply divided nation.
“It’s not because I’m the son of my father and mother—rather, my party supporters are the reason why I’m here today,” he said.
The magazine described the past few weeks as a whirlwind for Rahman. He returned to Bangladesh on 25 December last year, when hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered overnight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to welcome him.
Just five days later, his mother – former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia – passed away after a long illness, drawing even larger crowds to Dhaka to pay their final respects.
“It was very heavy in my heart,” Rahman said with welling eyes. “But the lesson I learnt from her is that when you have a responsibility, you must perform it.”
TIME observed that this responsibility may now mean following in her footsteps, adding that “Bangladeshis appear willing to take him at his word.”
The magazine cited opinion polls from late December showing BNP support at around 70 per cent, far ahead of its nearest rival, Jamaat-e-Islami, at 19 per cent.
Tarique Rahman was described as “soft-spoken and introverted”, preferring to listen rather than dominate conversations. While living in London, his favourite pastime was walking through leafy Richmond Park, “lost in his thoughts or reading history books.”
His favourite film, he revealed, is Air Force One. “I’ve probably seen it eight times!”
According to TIME, Rahman comes across as a “policy wonk”, capable of summoning facts and figures across a wide range of issues. His plans include digging 12,000 miles of canals to replenish depleted groundwater, planting 50 million trees annually to combat land degradation, and creating 50 new green spaces in Dhaka to help the smog-choked capital breathe.
He also outlined proposals to install trash-burning power generators, repurpose technical colleges to upskill migrant workers, and partner with private hospitals to ease pressure on the public healthcare system.
“If I can implement just 30 per cent of what I have planned, I’m sure the people of Bangladesh will support me,” Rahman said.
During the 2007–2008 military-backed caretaker government, Tarique Rahman was imprisoned for 18 months. He said he was tortured in custody, leaving him with spinal injuries that still affect him. His departure to the United Kingdom was initially for medical treatment.
“If the winter is very cold, then I get back pain,” he told the magazine.
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