Acting chairman of BNP Tarique Rahman has expressed certainty about his party’s victory in the forthcoming national election, stating his intention to come back to Bangladesh to participate. He predicted that his party would secure a dominant majority.
“We are confident we will win,” he told British daily Financial Times in his first face-to-face English language interview. “We strongly believe that we are in the position to form the government alone.”
“I think the time is very close for my return to Bangladesh,” he added.
He further asserted that the objectives of the student-led July mass protests, which led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s administration the previous year, would remain incomplete without conducting a “credible” and unrestricted election.
The Financial Times reported that the next administration will face significant economic vulnerabilities, including pressures on the crucial garment industry from US tariffs and strained relations with India, where the former prime minister Hasina is now residing.
Tarique is anticipated to be a leading contender for the prime ministerial role following the February election, with current surveys indicating that BNP is ahead. The interim government under Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has prohibited the political activities of Hasina’s Awami League.
Tarique described the Awami League as “fascist” and mentioned the BNP’s openness to establishing a governing coalition with other political groups, including a new party formed by the youth who spearheaded last year’s protests.
“We will welcome them into politics,” he told FT. “They are young, they have a future.”
During the discussion, the BNP leader highlighted parts of a prospective economic strategy, which involves reducing reliance on garment exports by transforming the country into a logistics center for major online retail corporations like Amazon, eBay and Alibaba.
He also mentioned pursuing a “Bangladesh before all” approach in dealings with India, a nation that has traditionally supported Hasina, with the goal of rebalancing what he termed an unequal relationship.
Tarique, 59, has resided in the United Kingdom since 2008, evading corruption cases which he asserts are without merit and politically driven. He committed that a future BNP government would stop retaliatory practices, noting that the party had already taken disciplinary action against or removed 7,000 members for such misconduct since August 2024.
When questioned about the potential reinstatement of the Awami League, which is thought to still command considerable public backing, he was non-committal. “If they are convicted as criminals, then how can the Awami League … contest the election,” he said, alluding to the legal charges current party leaders are confronting.
Tarique stated that, should he be elected, he would carry on the Yunus government’s initiatives to reclaim billions of dollars allegedly moved abroad by associates of Hasina.
It was noted, however, that during the BNP’s last period in government, the organisation Transparency International ranked Bangladesh as the most corrupt nation for five years in a row.
A disclosed 2008 US diplomatic communication characterised Tarique as “a symbol of kleptocratic government and violent politics” and claimed he was known for “flagrantly and frequently demanding bribes”, according to the FT.
When addressing the BNP’s historical governance, Tarique conceded that “any government has some flaws” but stood by its anti-corruption efforts, pointing out that it was responsible for creating the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission.
He said that “false narratives” spread by Bangladeshi media “formed the basis of the US cable”, adding that all the cases against him have since been dropped.
