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Tarique Rahman's Gambit: Why is He Playing the Waiting Game?

August 25, 2025 10:14 AM
Tarique Rahman
  • He will officially begin his election campaign within a day or two of his return.

BNP's acting chairman, Mr Tarique Rahman, is essentially awaiting the announcement of the upcoming election schedule in Bangladesh before he returns to the country.

A leader of the UK BNP, who is considered to be closer to Tarique Rahman personally than the current UK BNP president or general secretary, revealed this to this correspondent on Saturday afternoon. He said, "The leader's wish is to return to the country exactly three months before the election. This will allow him to hit the ground running and work for the upcoming election. All his preparations are complete; he is ready to return to the country even tomorrow."

It is understood that after seventeen years of being abroad, Tarique Rahman has garnered interest from many people who are not even involved in his party's politics due to his ability to keep the party unified and his actions before and after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government. Tarique Rahman wants to capitalize on this public interest by returning just before the election to create a large public wave in favor of the BNP.

For this reason, considering multiple factors, there is no possibility of Tarique Rahman returning before the election schedule is announced in Bangladesh.

Read Also: Tarique Rahman's Return: Still on Hold, Leading by Screen

His security team views the issue of his security as a major concern before the full-fledged election atmosphere is created. They have cited the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan at just 54 years of age as an example. Those who advise Tarique Rahman are waiting for the most carefully considered and opportune time to determine his return, security, and election strategy.

It was previously believed that Tarique Rahman would return to lead the party in the next election and would be back in Bangladesh by November 2025.

However, talking to several people who are in regular contact with Tarique Rahman in London as of Sunday morning, it has been learned that if the election is delayed for any reason, his return will also be delayed. He learned from a reliable source in Dhaka last Ramadan that returning to the country before the election schedule is announced could create a new situation that might not be favorable for the BNP. He wants his return to not cause any discomfort or inconvenience for the government and wants to cooperate with the government for a fair election.

Read Also: Tarique Rahman Shuns Crowds, Offers Friday Prayers in Secrecy

His close associates say that the reason for him not returning at this moment is their belief that his return will create a public wave in the country. The party workers and the general public will be energized by his return after a long time. The party wants to use this as the official start of their electoral campaign and a way to grab voters' attention.

They have a plan to take complete control of the electoral field without any breaks after Tarique Rahman's return. He will officially begin his election campaign within a day or two of his return.

When asked how Tarique Rahman will campaign in the 300 constituencies of the country in a short time after returning following the announcement of the schedule, a leader who is in regular contact with him in London said that Tarique Rahman intends to visit all 64 districts before the election. They believe this is possible due to the availability of flights to divisional cities and helicopters to district levels. In a situation of time constraint, even if Tarique Rahman cannot go to all district levels for his campaign, he might hold a large rally in a divisional city and officially declare candidates for all constituencies of that division at once. Afterward, he will visit the constituencies that are most essential. At the same time, Tarique Rahman will also campaign in the two constituencies from which he will contest the election.

It is known that Tarique Rahman is eagerly awaiting his return to Bangladesh after seventeen years of life in the UK. Even after spending seventeen years there, he never wants to return to the UK for residence. He will come to London only for holidays or as a government representative with an official passport if his party comes to power in Bangladesh.

In Kingston, London, besides his wife, daughter, sister-in-law, niece, and party workers, he has become acquainted with and close to many relatives and well-wishers over the last seventeen years, regardless of their political affiliation. He has received so much love from the Bangladeshi community in the UK that he has been able to walk around the city alone at night without any security. He is not currently thinking about whether he will miss this city, where he could return home in the middle of the night without security after pushing through waiting crowds to see his mother at the hospital door.