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Tarique Rahman, son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, will return to Bangladesh on December 25 after 17 years in self-exile, the BNP said, ahead of crucial February elections.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 13, 2025 06:36 IST
The Bangladesh ist Party has announced that Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and the party’s acting chairman, will return to Dhaka on December 25, ending 17 years of self-exile in London. The declaration comes at a tense political moment as Zia’s health has taken a serious turn.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that the decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s standing committee.
“We are pleased to announce that our Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will return to Dhaka on December 25,” he said. Alamgir added that “the party welcomes him,” calling the move both emotional and politically necessary.
HEALTH CRISIS DEEPENS FOR KHALEDA ZIA
Eighty-year-old Khaleda Zia has been receiving treatment at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple complications. She was placed on ventilator support on Thursday. Doctors described it as “elective ventilator support to give rest to her lungs and other vital organs.”
In a detailed statement, the head of her medical board, cardiologist Shahabuddin Talukdar, said Zia experienced a sudden drop in oxygen levels and a rise in carbon dioxide, prompting doctors to escalate her respiratory support.
"Her breathing difficulties increased, her oxygen level fell, and carbon dioxide levels rose," the statement said.
Rahman has long remained the party’s de facto leader from abroad, coordinating strategy through online platforms. “For obscure reasons, he has been unable to return home and be with his ailing mother,” BNP leaders said.
ELECTION COUNTDOWN ADDS URGENCY
Rahman’s return was announced a day after Bangladesh’s election commission confirmed that the 13th parliamentary elections will be held on February 12.
The BNP has signalled that if Zia is unable to take on political responsibilities, Rahman would be its candidate for prime minister should the party win power.
The BNP has regained momentum in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape after a student-led uprising forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina out of office on August 5, 2024. Rahman’s homecoming now places him at the centre of an election that could reshape the country’s post-Hasina political era.
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With inputs from PTI
Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Dec 13, 2025
