Dhaka: Tarique Rahman formally assumed the position of Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Friday night in line with the party constitution. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the development after an emergency meeting of the party’s highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, held at the party Chairman’s Gulshan office with Tarique Rahman in the chair.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the emergency meeting of the National Standing Committee was convened at 9:00 pm, where the committee expressed satisfaction at Tarique Rahman’s formal assumption of the Chairman role, in accordance with the BNP constitution. The meeting also included prayers for Rahman’s success in leading the party. In response to inquiries, the BNP Secretary General clarified that once someone becomes Chairman, the position of Acting Chairman ceases to exist.

The meeting was attended by key Standing Committee members including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, and others. A BNP Standing Committee member confirmed that Tarique Rahman’s chairmanship was unanimously approved during the meeting. The transition followed the death of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, allowing Rahman, then Senior Vice Chairman, to automatically become Chairman as per the party’s constitution.

The BNP constitution’s Article 7 (Ga), sub-clause 3, stipulates that if the Chairman’s position becomes vacant, the Senior Vice Chairman assumes the role until a new Chairman is elected. Tarique Rahman had been serving as Acting Chairman since Khaleda Zia was imprisoned on February 8, 2018, effectively leading the party during her incapacitation due to imprisonment and illness. Operating from London, Rahman managed the party and its affiliates.

The BNP, founded on September 1, 1978 by then President Ziaur Rahman, Tarique Rahman’s father, has seen leadership transitions due to unforeseen circumstances. After Ziaur Rahman’s assassination in 1981, Justice Abdus Sattar briefly served as Acting Chairman before Begum Khaleda Zia took over leadership, serving as Chairperson for 41 years. Khaleda Zia’s political journey began in 1982, and she led the party to significant electoral victories in 1991, 1996, and 2001.

Tarique Rahman’s political involvement began through Bogura BNP, actively participating in campaigns alongside his mother in the 1991 elections. By 2001, he played a key role in election strategies and was later appointed Senior Joint Secretary General in 2002. His rise continued through party reorganizations and leadership roles, culminating in his election as Senior Vice Chairman in 2009, and later, Acting Chairman in 2018.

Following Khaleda Zia’s death on December 30 last year, Tarique Rahman has taken over as BNP Chairman, a position solidified by his previous roles and leadership within the party.