A mafia godfather-turned-prime minister, Tarique Rahman, in his first national address, painted a rosy picture of unity, security, and democratic revival, pledging to transform the nation into a “safe haven” for all citizens regardless of religion, party affiliation, or background.
Yet, this lofty vision rings profoundly hollow, overshadowed by his glaring silence on the rampant injustices inflicted upon Awami League supporters, religious minorities, and vulnerable groups since the chaotic fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.
As the son of military dictator General Ziaur Rahman and three-time premier Khaleda Ziaโfigures infamous for eroding Bangladesh’s secular foundations, rehabilitating wartime collaborators, and fostering anti-India hostilityโTarique’s promises of equality and rule of law smack of hypocrisy, ignoring a history of division that his family helped entrench.
During the previous tenure of the BNP-led government in 2001-06, Tarique was known for terrorism, corruption, and extortion. He was named a Dark Prince of Bangladesh’s politics.
His speech, delivered on Wednesday evening, invoked the sacrifices of “thousands of martyrs” for independence and sovereignty while celebrating the restoration of democracy under his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government.
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He emphasised equal rights for Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and all ethnic groups, vowing a “self-reliant, safe, humane, and democratic Bangladesh.” Priorities included bolstering law and order, combating corruption, and dismantling syndicates, with specific nods to cracking down on gambling and drugs.
For the upcoming Ramadan, he promised uninterrupted utilities, price controls on essentials, and austerity measuresโsuch as forgoing tax-free vehicles and plots for BNP lawmakersโto set an example of fiscal restraint. Broader plans touched on decentralisation to ease Dhaka’s congestion, rail reforms for better connectivity, and skilling the youth in AI and technology to turn Bangladesh’s population into its “greatest asset.”
These pronouncements, however, conveniently sidestep the grim reality of post-August 2024 Bangladeshโa period marred by unchecked mob violence, political vendettas, and systemic abuses that have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.
Independent reports from organisations like Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP) document over 2,000 incidents of communal violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, since the uprising. These include at least 61 killings, 28 cases of sexual violence against women (including rapes and gang rapes), and 95 attacks on temples involving arson, looting, and vandalism.
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Non-Sunni groups, such as Ahmadis, and ethnic minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts have also faced assaults, with little intervention from authorities. Women’s rights groups report a surge in gender-based violence, with primary schoolgirls disproportionately targeted; ASK noted 52 child rapes in early 2025 alone, part of a broader spike where over 60% of rape victims are under 18.
Even in the oath-taking ceremony, there was no recitation from any religion but Islam.
Even more damning is Rahman’s failure to address the targeted persecution of Awami League members and supporters, whose plight underscores the selective justice he now champions. Human Rights Watch and Transparency International Bangladesh estimate at least 158 deaths in 600 incidents of political violence from August 2024 to December 2025, with many victims linked to the Awami League. Rights groups like Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) report 123 Awami League affiliates murdered or killed in custody between August 2024 and April 2025.
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Nearly 2,000 casesโmany deemed fabricatedโhave been filed against AL activists, leading to arbitrary detentions of tens of thousands; police lodged over 92,000 accusations in the first two months post-uprising alone. The interim government’s effective ban on Awami League activities since May 2025 has stifled opposition, while extortion rackets, looting of homes, businesses, and newspaper offices have flourished amid mob rule.
This omission is no accident but a continuation of a family legacy steeped in division. Tarique’s father, General Ziaur Rahman, who seized power in 1975, repealed the Collaborators Act that targeted 1971 war criminals, rehabilitated Razakars (Pakistani collaborators infamous for atrocities during the Liberation War), and revived Jamaat-e-Islami, allowing figures like Ghulam Azam to return and thrive politically.
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Zia’s regime eroded Bengali nationalism and secularism, persecuting secularists and minorities while cultivating anti-India sentiment to consolidate power. His mother, Khaleda Zia, during her tenures (1991-1996 and 2001-2006), oversaw waves of minority persecution; a 2005 white paper documented over 1,500 days of attacks on Hindus, including rapes, killings, and forced displacements, driving thousands to flee. Her alliances with Jamaat amplified communal tensions and anti-India rhetoric, framing Hindus as “Indian sympathizers” to stoke nationalist fervour.
Tarique’s speech, laden with calls for accountability and transparency, ignores how his family’s actions sowed the seeds of the very “mob culture” he decries from the Yunus era. By rehabilitating extremists and undermining secular institutions, the Zia dynasty normalised the impunity that now plagues Bangladesh. His promises of a corruption-free, law-bound state are undermined by his own pastโexiled for years amid graft allegationsโwhile his government’s alliances with Jamaat-e-Islami risk further entrenching Islamist influences that threaten minorities and women.
As Bangladesh grapples with economic fragility and social fractures, his selective amnesia betrays a leadership more interested in consolidating power than delivering justice. True democracy demands reckoning with the past, not airbrushing it. Until he confronts the bloodshed, detentions, and harassment since August 2024โand repudiates his family’s divisive legacyโhis words remain nothing but empty echoes in a nation desperate for genuine healing.
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