Tarique Rahman Takes Full Command of BNP After Mother Khaleda Zia's Demise

• Tarique Rahman has formally assumed full leadership of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) following the passing of his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
• The BNP's Standing Committee unanimously approved Tarique Rahman's election as the party's new chairman during a meeting at the Gulshan office in Dhaka.
• Party general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed that Tarique Rahman was made president with the consent of all members.
• Tarique Rahman's political career began with the anti-Ershad movement and he held various roles, including Senior Joint Secretary and Senior Vice President.
• After being arrested in 2007 and living in exile, he returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 and was acting chairman since Khaleda Zia's imprisonment in 2018.

Why It Matters: Tarique Rahman officially takes over as BNP chairman, marking a new era for the opposition in Bangladesh.