Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) prime ministerial candidate, looks set to become the country’s next leader after the party claimed a “decisive victory” on Friday.
Rahman, 60, is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of the BNP.
He returned home in December after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile following mass protests in 2024 that toppled longtime premier Sheikh Hasina.
Rahman has served as the party’s acting chairman since his mother’s imprisonment in 2018, who died shortly after his return in December.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday congratulated Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on his “resounding” election victory.
“I also congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the successful conduct of elections,” Sharif posted on X, adding that he looked forward to working closely with the new leadership to promote bilateral relations and advance shared goals.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated BNP chief Tarique Rahman on Friday on his “decisive victory” and said New Delhi would support “a democratic, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.”
“This victory shows the trust of the people of Bangladesh in your leadership,” Modi said in a post on X, referring to Rahman.
“I look forward to working with you to strengthen our multifaceted relations and advance our common development goals.”
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed a landslide victory in the first elections held since the 2024 student-led uprising, with leader Tarique Rahman positioned to become prime minister.
Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December after 17 years in self-exile in London. He is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who died in December.
The BNP’s media unit said that the party had won enough seats in parliament to govern on its own.
Final results have not yet been announced by the Election Commission, but a BNP victory is being widely reported in local media outlets.
“This victory was expected. It is not surprising that the people of Bangladesh have placed their trust in a party… capable of realising the dreams that our youth envisioned during the uprising,” Salahuddin Ahmed, a leading BNP committee member, told the AFP news agency.
