Regime change in Dhaka fuels hopes for the return of Tarique Rahman

The transition in Bangladesh politics could be a pivotal moment for Tarique Rahman, acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Part. Called Tarique Zia by supporters, he is the the son of former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia. A freedom fighter and army general, Zia founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). After he was killed in 1981 by rebellious army officers, Khaleda Zia took over the leadership. Both Khaleda and Sheikh Hasina played important roles in leading the 1990 uprising against President Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

Tarique, 57, now finds himself following in his mothers’ footsteps as Bangladesh is trying to restart the democratic process. The BNP occupies the largest political space in the country after the ouster of the Awami League government. And there is much excitement in Dhaka over the anticipated return of Tarique, who has been living in London.

For Tarique, who has been addressing party cadres virtually, life will come full circle when he lands in Dhaka. Khaleda Zia is expected to make way for her son to be the face of the party in the upcoming elections.

“Tarique already has a concrete plan in place,” says Mahdi Amin, his adviser.

“Whether it is jobs, public health care, education, farmers, labourers or the working class, we want to give them equal opportunities, fair wages and a democratic system free of corruption,” said Dr Ziauddin Hyder, former World Bank official and adviser to Tarique. “We want to transform Bangladesh through implanting Tarique’s vision to introduce knowledge-based and development-centric politics.”

All eyes will be on how deftly Tarique will be able to take the reins when he lands in Dhaka in the days to come. “He was forced into exile, and the civil-military establishment took a written undertaking from him that he would not engage in politics in the future. This was a violation of his political rights,” said Asif Bin Ali, a political analyst and doctoral fellow at Georgia State University in the US.

During 16 years in exile, Tarique suffered personal losses (he lost his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko) and faced many legal and political challenges. But he remained influential in the BNP and kept the party alive. “It is Tarique and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir who have kept the party united, despite pressure from the Awami League government to break it,” said Ali.

Tarique was elected senior vice chairman of the BNP during the party’s fifth national council in 2009, and was re-elected in 2016. Since the imprisonment of his mother in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, he has been serving as the acting chairman of the BNP. “Tarique is poised to become the next prime minister of Bangladesh, given his rising popularity,” said Ali.

Tarique entered politics in 1988. He took part in the election campaign in the 1991 elections, but was less active afterward, despite the BNP forming the government. He re-emerged during the 2001 election campaign; and the BNP secured a landslide victory. By this time, has had gained considerable clout within the party. During his mother’s tenure, however, Tarique was widely accused of exercising undue influence and wielding power without holding any official position in the government.

In 2007, a military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed assumed control, and Tarique was imprisoned with his mother. During the two-year rule of the caretaker government, many prominent political leaders were arrested and tortured. Tarique was released just before the 2008 elections and was allowed to travel to London on parole for medical treatment.

The change in Bangladesh is an opportunity for Tarique to break the patterns of his predecessors and make his own legacy. The question is what kind of leader will he be.