Tarique Rahman

Tarique Rahman (born 20 November 1968), also known as Tarique Zia, is a Bangladeshi politician who has served as the prime minister of Bangladesh and chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 2026. He is the eldest son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Born in 1968, Rahman rose to prominence in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party during Khaleda Zia's premiership. During the tenure of the military-backed caretaker government, he was detained in 2007. Following his release in parole in 2008, he went into self-imposed exile in London, UK with his family. Rahman had drawn controversy in national politics during his mother's premiership. He was particularly criticized for allegations of using "Hawa Bhaban" as a parallel power center of the state, as well as for his alleged involvement in various incidents of corruption, bribery, and money laundering. He was convicted by the courts on multiple charges, including corruption, bribery, money laundering, illegal acquisition of wealth, and grenade attacks. A total of 84 cases were filed against him between 2007 and 2024. BNP claimed that those were politically motivated false charges. Later in 2024, following the July Uprising, the court acquitted him of all charges and quashed his sentence. Rahman subsequently returned to Bangladesh in late 2025 and won in the 2026 general election. He was listed on 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine in 2026.