Who is Tarique Rahman? Khaleda Zia’s exiled son set to return to Bangladesh politics

Often described as the “crown prince” of Bangladeshi politics, Tarique Rahman is the eldest son of the country’s founding military ruler and former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the BNP chairperson who served three terms in office. His return comes at a moment of heightened political tension, marked by violence, arrests and debates over the direction of the interim government. From political heir to exile Tarique Rahman emerged as a powerful figure within the BNP in the early 2000s, widely seen as his mother’s political heir. However, his career was derailed amid a turbulent period in…