BNP Chief Tarique Rahman Set to Become Bangladesh's New Prime Minister Amid Hopes and Challenges

Dhaka. Tarique Rahman, Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is set to become the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Despite having no prior experience in governance, he will take on the role of the country's chief executive.

The election won by Sheikh Hasina nearly two years ago was widely considered fraudulent. At that time, it was hard to imagine that Hasina's 15-year long rule would suddenly end, or that the opposition party, which had almost ceased to exist, would make such a massive and spectacular comeback. However, this has proven to be another episode in the decades-long power alternation cycle in Bangladeshi politics between Hasina's Awami League and the BNP.

What is different this time is that this is the first time BNP's new leader, Tarique Rahman, has formally led the party and contested an election. His mother and former party chief, Khaleda Zia, passed away due to illness late last year. Khaleda Zia, who led the party for four decades, took charge after the assassination of her husband and BNP founder, Ziaur Rahman.

The 60-year-old Rahman, who faced allegations of nepotism and corruption while his mother was in power, returned home from 17 years of exile in London just five days before his mother's death. Although he had been the undeclared leader of the party when his mother was in jail or ill, many still view him as an 'inexperienced leader'.

Political scientist Naveen Murshid says, 'His lack of past experience might turn out to be a positive aspect for him, as the public wants to give change a chance. People want to think that new and better things are truly possible, so there is a lot of hope,' so much hope is pinned.

Youth Generation's Vigilance
Following its massive victory, the BNP has stated that its first priority is to restore democracy. BNP senior leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, 'We must first fix all the democratic and financial institutions that were destroyed in the last decade.'

Bangladesh has a long history of making and breaking such promises, where parties become more autocratic after coming to power. However, the youth generation that ousted Hasina through the 'July Uprising' of 2024 is not in the mood to accept a repetition of the old pattern this time.

Tajin Ahmed, 19, who participated in the uprising, says, 'We do not want to fight again. The departure of the previous Prime Minister was not our only victory. Our main victory will be when the country runs without corruption and the economy improves.' Her 21-year-old sister, Tahmin Tasnim, warned, 'First, we want unity among the people. We have been part of the uprising, and we know how to retaliate. So, if the same thing happens again, we will have the right to do so again.'

Piles of Challenges and New Faces
After Hasina's departure, the tenure of interim leader Mohammad Yunus also could not remain free from violence. Maintaining peace and security will be the first priority for the new government to be formed. Furthermore, reviving the economy, reducing food prices, and creating employment for Bangladesh's large youth population stand as major challenges.

According to sociologist Samina Lutfa, a lack of experience in governance is visible across all parties. The Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, which has been banned twice in history, and the National Citizens Party (NCP), formed under student leadership, have also secured seats in parliament. 

The NCP won 6 seats in its first attempt. 'We will see leaders in parliament who have never been seen before,' Lutfa said, 'The youth in the NCP have a lot to learn. Even if there are other older leaders, they lack the experience to run the country. So, this will be a very difficult task.'

Jamaat has emphasized secularism and development in its manifesto and has not mentioned Islamic law. However, the mention on the party's website that Islamic law cannot be implemented without political power has raised questions.

The Future of the Awami League
All political parties have been accused of disappointing the women of Bangladesh. Less than 4 percent of the total candidates were women. Sociologist Lutfa says, 'All parties failed to transform the collective power of us women who participated in the July Uprising into the formal political electoral arena.'

In the Bangladesh parliament, 300 out of 350 seats are directly elected, while 50 seats are reserved for women, nominated based on the electoral performance of the parties.

Although this election appears distinctly different and competitive compared to some past elections, the credibility of Hasina's party, the Awami League, is questioned as it was banned from participating in the election. Sheikh Hasina, living in exile in India, called Thursday's election a betrayal and a farce and demanded a new election with the participation of the Awami League.

Currently, public anger against the Awami League is intense. BNP leader Chowdhury stated that the people will decide the future of the Awami League. However, looking at Bangladesh's political history, the situation where the Awami League can be sidelined forever does not seem apparent.