After 17 years abroad, Tarique Rahman’s return to Dhaka should mark the return of justice, not the revival of political privilege. The interim government must act decisively and ensure that one of Bangladesh’s most notoriously corrupt figures is held fully accountable for his crimes.
Rahman, the acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, symbolizes the fusion of money, power, and impunity that has crippled Bangladesh’s politics for decades. According to a 2008 U.S. Embassy cable released by WikiLeaks, he was described as “the notoriously corrupt and violent son” of Khaleda Zia, with diplomats adding that “much of what is wrong in Bangladesh can be blamed on Tarique and his cronies.”
During the BNP’s 2001 to 2006 rule, Rahman effectively ran a shadow government from his Hawa Bhaban office, orchestrating an extensive network of extortion, bribery, and political coercion. His name is tied to the 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka that killed 24 people and injured hundreds. A court later found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment, yet he has lived comfortably in London since 2008, evading justice while speaking of democracy and reform.
Now, as Rahman prepares to return under the banner of political leadership, the government must not allow his reentry to become a rehabilitation of corruption. The law demands that he be arrested immediately upon arrival, placed under judicial custody, and forced to answer for the verdicts already delivered against him.
Bangladesh’s interim leadership has pledged to restore accountability and break the cycle of dynastic corruption that has long tainted its institutions. Letting Rahman roam free would betray that promise and send a message that the powerful remain above the law.
If this government truly seeks a cleaner, more democratic Bangladesh, it must prove it through action, not words. Arresting Tarique Rahman would not only uphold justice but also signal that the country has finally begun to break free from the corruption and impunity he represents.