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Tarek Rahman appointed Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman after standing committee approval

BNP’s standing committee has appointed Tarek Rahman as party chairman following the death of former PM Khaleda Zia, confirming the decision on Friday night.

By Arghya Prodip Biswas

Jan 10, 2026 02:44 IST

The BNP standing committee approved his appointment at a meeting held at the party’s Gulshan office. The position had fallen vacant after the death of party chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

During the meeting, the standing committee unanimously entrusted Tarek Rahman with the responsibility of leading the party as chairman. His appointment formalises the role he had been carrying in an acting capacity.

After the meeting, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed the decision. He said that, in line with the party constitution, acting chairman Tarek Rahman has now been given the responsibility of chairman.

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The party leadership said the decision was taken through consensus, marking a key moment for the BNP following the loss of its long-time leader.

Tarek Rahman's return to politics

Khaleda Zia's son returned to Bangladesh earlier in December after 17 long years of exile. Later, his name was included in Bangladesh's voter list. He was living in Britain with his wife and daughter. The acting chairman of BNP recently returned to Bangladesh. After this, he became active in getting his name included in Bangladesh's voter list. It has been learned that his name has been included as a voter in ward number 19 of the Gulshan area under the Dhaka-17 constituency.

In 2007, the then-military government arrested Tarek from his home in a corruption case. Lawyers alleged in court that Tarek was hanged from the roof and beaten while in custody. He sustained serious injuries to his spine. It is known that in 2008, the military allowed Tarek to leave the country in exchange for a bond under special arrangements. It is heard that Tarek had given a bond stating that he would never engage in politics again in his life.

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When Bangladesh's first voter list with photographs was prepared in 2008, Tarek was in London. After that, he did not return to his country in Bangladesh. However, after recovering, Tarek became active in politics from London. Tarek Rahman returned to the country on December 25. He will contest in Bangladesh's upcoming

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