Dhaka, Oct 7 (V7N) – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has said he plans to return to Bangladesh soon, expressing confidence that his party is poised to form the next government.
 
“We will win decisively. We firmly believe we are in a position to form a government on our own. I think the time for my return to Bangladesh is near,” Tarique Rahman told the Financial Times in an exclusive interview published on Monday.
 
The Financial Times reported that Tarique Rahman is widely seen as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post in the upcoming February election. Recent surveys indicate BNP as the leading political force, following the interim government’s move under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to ban the Awami League from political activities.
 
Tarique echoed Dr. Yunus’s comments, calling the Awami League a “fascist party.” He said BNP is prepared to form a government in alliance with other political parties, including the newly emerged groups from last year’s student movement.
 
“We welcome the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) into politics. They are young, and the future belongs to them,” Tarique said.
 
Addressing economic priorities, he stated that Bangladesh must move beyond its reliance on garment exports and position itself as a major supply hub for global e-commerce giants such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba.
 
He also emphasized that his administration would adopt a “Bangladesh First” foreign policy, seeking to rebalance ties with India that he described as “one-sided” during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure.
 
Pledging to end cycles of political revenge, Tarique mentioned that BNP had already punished or expelled about 7,000 members implicated in retaliatory actions since August 5. However, he did not clearly state whether the Awami League would be allowed to rejoin politics, referring instead to ongoing corruption cases against its senior leaders. “If they are convicted, how can the Awami League contest in the election?” he asked.
 
Tarique further vowed to continue the Yunus-led initiative to recover assets allegedly laundered abroad.
 
When questioned about past allegations of corruption against him, including a 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable labeling him as a “symbol of kleptocracy and violent politics,” Tarique said the claims were based on “false narratives spread by Bangladeshi media.” He asserted that all cases against him have since been withdrawn.
 
He acknowledged that “no government is without flaws,” but argued that BNP remains committed to anti-corruption reform, noting that “it was BNP that established the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh.”
 
END/SMA/AJ/