At daybreak, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will return home. After nearly a decade and a half, leaders and activists at all levels of the party are energised by his return. Their expectation is that once he comes back, he will further strengthen the party, provide direct leadership, and take it to power. This line of thinking, however, remains confined within party boundaries.
But public expectations lie elsewhere—much like the time when his father, BNP founder President Ziaur Rahman, formed the party during one of the country’s gravest crises. In doing so, he did not seek dissenting opinions. Through a multiparty political vision, he brought killings, bloodshed, looting, robbery, and plunder to a halt.
Amid the anarchy that prevailed for several years before and after the tragedy of 1975, Ziaur Rahman pulled together a scattered and chaotic country. That incredible achievement appeared as magic to some, a blessing of nature to others, and special divine mercy to yet others. The same resolve to restore national spirit was later shown by Tarique Rahman’s mother, former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. After the end of nine consecutive years of autocratic rule, in 1991 the people once again entrusted her with the responsibility of pulling the country back from the edge of the abyss. She fulfilled that public expectation.
For nearly the past two decades, a country battered by disorder and undemocratic practices is once again groping in darkness amid killings, mob violence, and various forms of chaos. Alongside political tension, social instability has reached an extreme. Public security is under threat. Business and investment suffer from a hellish stagnation.
Which darkness the country is turning toward is a difficult question. The historic responsibility of applying the brakes now rests on Tarique Rahman. Party insiders are waiting for power. But for the vast, nation-minded public, expectations are not limited to power alone. To them, Tarique Rahman stands on a different plane. On the scale of those expectations, he is embarking on a journey to be remembered for pulling the country back on track for the third time. Echoes of this expectation were also evident in the emotional social media post by his daughter, Zaima Rahman, before his return.
From faraway London, Tarique Rahman’s guidance of the country—his various steps, decisions, and measured words over the past year and a half—has steadily raised public expectations around him. His statements on mobs and violence have drawn interest from almost all professions and social groups beyond politics. Many see in these positions the shadow of some of the steps taken by his father, Ziaur Rahman, during his time as Army Chief and President. Within just three and a half years in power, Ziaur Rahman had set a record by building a new, self-reliant Bangladesh. Over several consecutive days, Tarique Rahman has been outlining his plans across politics, the economy, and various sectors—plans in which many see reflections of his father’s vision.
His return home after long exile is a political gain for party leaders, activists, and supporters. But there is a difference between that and the expectations of the general public. What they want is not only political progress for the country, but something more. And that “something more” is a healthy, beautiful, and secure Bangladesh—a dynamic, work-oriented Bangladesh free from mob violence, terrorism, chaos, and syndicates. Politically, Begum Khaleda Zia now stands as the symbol of political unity in Bangladesh. And the helmsman to carry that symbol forward is Tarique Rahman. Time, nature, and reality have placed this responsibility upon his shoulders. That is why many outside politics also believe that under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, the pillars of Bangladesh’s democracy will be strengthened, restraints will be placed on political and social anarchy, and the circulation of the economy—along with business and investment—will regain momentum.
A few days ago, Tarique Rahman said that his party has been subjected to media trials. In another message, he said that democracy and voting rights must be established in the country at any cost. He has stated that his intentions are clear. He has also shared various plans, including those to keep the wheels of the economy turning. The culture of passing judgment before due process—socially and at the state level—has long prevailed in Bangladesh and has recently intensified further. Added to this are mob violence, killings, robberies, and arson, where people attack whomever they can in whatever way they can. The expansion of information technology and the internet has made media trials even more destructive, compounded by misinformation and disinformation. This phenomenon runs parallel not only against individuals but also against businesspeople and investors. Tarique Rahman has expressed pain over this as well, instilling confidence in the country’s business community.
It is no secret that the interim government under Nobel laureate Dr. Yunus has fallen into a difficult challenge of building a discrimination-free Bangladesh in line with the aspirations of students and the public. Conspiracies by malevolent forces seeking to undermine the success and potential of the mass uprising are clearly visible. From this situation, following in the footsteps of his parents, the responsibility of putting the country back on track is once again falling on Tarique Rahman’s shoulders.
He has promised that if people do not like him, they need not vote for him; even if his party does not come to power, voting rights must still be established. Such pledges and commitments have elevated his personal stature to a level distinct from the party itself. The new turn of history in 2024 has left Tarique Rahman no room to be swept up by hype or emotion. This inevitable new arrangement and reality must be embraced not only politically, but also at the socio-economic level—through political wisdom, competence, and by carrying forward the tradition of nation-building established by his parents.
Since February 8, 2016, when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was imprisoned, he has been leading the party as Acting Chairman. Despite prohibitions on returning to the country, speaking publicly, and even broadcasting his words by court order, he moved forward like a swimmer with bound hands and feet. In the face of his resolve, the oppressors themselves were ultimately defeated. Tarique Rahman’s steadfast role not only created the ground for the successful student–public uprising in July–August, but also laid the foundation for post-revolutionary stability. Amid relentless propaganda by the previous government and regular insults and mockery from the prime minister and several ministers, Tarique Rahman chose not to respond in kind and instead moved forward with firm steps. He continued his work relentlessly. His leadership demonstrated the strength to pull the party back from the brink. This has set an example in global politics and made the country’s politics and revolution more relevant. Even amid extreme adversity, he has become a textbook example of how to remain steadfast and steadily rise higher. In a hostile environment, he continues to urge calm.
Now comes his own inauguration—to honor the trust and confidence placed in him.
Author: Journalist and Columnist
Deputy Head of News, Banglavision
