The monsoon‑kissed land of Bangladesh holds its breath as the days slip slowly toward the national vote. Across the streets of Dhaka, early morning light unfurls over red brick and concrete, where the rhythms of everyday life — rickshaws trundling past markets, tea stalls filling with quiet conversation — blend with the charged expectation of an impending election. In the calm moments before the swirl of crowds and the rustle of ballots, one figure’s resolve has come to shape the tone of this national pause: Tarique Rahman, the 60‑year‑old chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose journey from exile to front‑runner has been watched with keen attention at home and beyond.
Rahman’s name now decorates conversations in teahouses and corners of workplaces alike. Returned to Bangladesh in December after nearly two decades abroad, following the political upheaval that toppled long‑time leader Sheikh Hasina, he stands at the threshold of a political moment that his party — in confident statements — believes it can shape. In recent days, he has declined an offer from the Islamist party Jamaat‑e‑Islami to form a unity government after the February 12 election, asserting that his party is poised to secure a clear majority and govern without broad‑based power‑sharing. His question — “How can I form a government with my political opponents, and then who would be in the opposition?” — seemed to echo in the corridors of his Dhaka office where old portraits of his parents — his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and his father, a former president — look on.
The proposal for a unity government came from a political ally‑turned‑rival, a gesture that might have bridged strands of Bangladesh’s fractious landscape. Jamaat‑e‑Islami, once banned but now a returning presence on the national stage, has argued that a coalition could help steady the country’s vital garments industry, which shuttered and staggered through months of turmoil in 2024. Yet Rahman’s reply — firm and resolute — suggested a different path: one of majority governance, unencumbered by formal alliances that blur lines between ruling and opposing voices. His aides have spoken openly of confidence that the BNP will win more than two‑thirds of the 300 parliamentary seats, a declaration that weaves narrative and ambition into the unfolding election story.
The broader scene in Bangladesh remains charged with history and expectation. The interim government, in place since Hasina’s flight and exile, has overseen a nation grappling with economic pressures and political realignments. The alliance with Jamaat that once governed more than a decade ago resonates differently now, as new generations of voters and activists — some emerging from youth‑led protests — witness a political script reshaped by upheaval and reimagined possibilities. Opinion polls have forecast a BNP victory, though the election’s dynamics still reflect a landscape marked by both contest and continuity.
Amid these currents, Rahman has also spoken of Bangladesh’s place in the wider world, emphasizing economic growth and sovereignty over alignment with any particular global partner. As he casts his vision forward, he has suggested a welcoming stance toward those returning from abroad who wish to engage in the country’s political life, a nod to both reconciliation and renewal in a nation where individual stories and collective history intertwine.
In the final days before voters make their choice, the bustle of Dhaka and the quiet of distant villages both carry a sense of anticipation shaped by past struggle and future hope. Whether Rahman’s confidence translates into a decisive mandate, and what that may mean for Bangladesh’s evolving political tapestry, will be revealed as ballots are cast and counted, marking another chapter in a nation’s unending negotiation with change.
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