Tarique Rahman Emerges As Key Player In Bangladesh Elections Amid End Of 'Battles Of The Begums' |
New Delhi: With former PM Sheikh Hasina unable to contest, the passing away of Begum Khaleda Zia has meant that the “Battles of the Begums” will not be factors in the upcoming elections. All eyes will now be on Tarique Rahman, Zia’s son and currently the acting chairperson of the BNP. Rahman, who recently returned to Dhaka from London, where he had been living in exile since 2008, is considered the favourite to win the elections.
The question remains: given Rahman’s long exile, does he have significant control over the party? Dr Smruti S. Pattanaik, Research Fellow (SS) at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, believes so. “Tarique Rehman has been managing the party for a very long time. For all practical purposes, he was the leader, especially after she........