We strongly believe that we're in the position to form the govt: Tarique Rahman

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman has said he will return to the country to contest upcoming elections.

During an interview with the UK-based Financial Times (FT), the de facto chief of BNP also said that they strongly believe that they were in a position to form the govt, following the ousting of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hasina last year.

Tarique Rahman also insisted that the student-led revolution that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime could not be fully realised until a free and credible vote was held, said the FT report published on its website on Monday.

Tarique Rahman told the Financial Times in his first face-to-face English language interview, “We strongly believe that we are in the position to form the government.”

“I think the time is very close for my return to Bangladesh,” he added.

According to the FT, whoever leads the next government of Bangladesh will have to confront a fragile economy, with the country’s vital garment sector hit by US tariffs, and a damaged relationship with neighbouring India, where Sheikh Hasina has fled.

Tarique Rahman is widely expected to emerge as a prime ministerial candidate after the February vote, with polls showing the BNP is the frontrunner.

Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s interim leader, has banned Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League from political activities.

Rahman echoed Yunus’ claim that the Awami League is “fascist” and said the BNP was ready to form a government with other parties, including a new faction led by students who were on the front lines of last year’s uprising.

“We will welcome them into politics,” he said. “They are young, they have a future.”