Tarique is the son of former President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam, one of the key military leaders in the Bangladeshi War of Independence in 1971, and Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He spent most of his life in DhakaCantonment. Presently, Tarique attempt to earn Bar-at-Law Degree from a University College at London. Tarique is married to Zubaida Khan, the youngest daughter of Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan, former Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy. Zubaida Rahman is a physician worked in the government. Their daughter Zaima Rahman who studies at the International School Dhaka is fourteen years old. She is now studied in school of London. Zubaida Rahman is also the first cousin of Irene Khan, the former head of Amnesty International. Education and Business When Tarique Rahman grew up to go to school, he was admitted to a school in Dhaka popularly known as Shaheen High School and College, primarily meant for the children of the Army personnel. Later he got admitted in Dhaka Residential Model College and attained the Secondary School Certificate (SSC).[1] Later he studied in Adamjee Cantonment Public School & College and passed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations with commanding results. Tarique Rahman entered the University of Dhaka as a student of International Relations, a subject of his choice.[2] While in the University, he read political thoughts of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Roussou, Voltaire, Karl Marx and other exceptional thinkers. He concentrated more on socioeconomic and political subjects, including the in-depth study of gradual development of democracy and dynamics of economic liberalisation. Tarique graduated in a volatile situation at the height of the movement against the autocratic regime of Hussain Muhammad Ershad, which his mother Begum Khaleda Zia was leading. Upon completion of studies, Tarique became a successful entrepreneur and established several businesses, particularly in the textile and agro-based industries. He holds a partnership in Dandy Dyeing and Rahman Navigation. Political career In 1988 he started his political career as a primary member of the partys Gabtali Upazila and later Bogra District committee member.[4] He actively assembled support for the party during the national elections of 1991, when the transition was taking place from the autocratic ruling to the democratic government. He was a member of the BNP’s National Campaign Strategy Committee, and was also responsible for coordinating the election campaigns in five constituencies from which his mother Begum Khaleda Zia was contesting.[3] During that period, he proactively organised the BNP units of Bogra and changed the inherent cultures to make politics more production and development oriented.[3] After the BNP’s success in the national elections of 1991 and the formation of the new government, Tarique was offered a senior role in the party as recognition of his contributions. However, he was reluctant to take up a higher position in order to boast enough time strengthening the party at the grassroots levels. As such, for many years, he remained active in developing the Bogra units of the BNP. During the national elections of 1996, the party grassroots and the senior leadership requested Tarique to contest in a constituency from Bogra. But Tarique declined the offer with a view to furthering his work at the grassroots levels and coordinating the election campaigns for his mother. During the ruling of the Awami League government in 1996–2001, Tarique Rahman mobilized movements against the misrules and atrocities of the government. He actively campaigned to address issues of economic deprivation and started championing a countrywide consultation programme in getting to know the plight of the people living in the rural areas This large-scale programme, first time in the history of Bangladesh of this nature, drew great popularity and drove mass mobilization against the government, which in turn, played an instrumental role in fostering the return of the BNP to power. He established the secret-ballot system in Bogra to find out the efficient leader. In the national elections held in 2001, the party enjoyed a landslide victory with a two-third majority. There was immense pressure on Tarique from the party grassroots, as well as the national leadership, to assume a position within the government. But time and again, he refused and pledged to keep working within the party so that he could build a strong party which would then build a stronger nation. Tarique Rahman in Mujib Tomb In June 2002, he was appointed as Joint Secretary General of BNP by its Standing Committee. After taking office as the Senior Joint General Secretary, Tarique launched a program called Grassroots Level Conference in every district of the country as well as Divisional conferences and Upazila Conferences aiming to know the view of party workers.[5] He also attended hundreds of party meetings all over the country. Many leaders of the party accompanied him in those meetings. While visiting in 2002, Tungipara Upazila of Gopalganj District, Tarique visited the tomb of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and paid respects on behalf of the BNP showing political tolerance. During this time, he personally signed response letters to the attendees at the various rallies. These response letters contain regionally specific issues and discussion on how to address them. By the first week of April, signed 18,000 letters. The 5 national council of BNP 2009 elected Tarique Rahman senior vice-chairman of the party. Tarique also contributed towards establishing various welfare organizations.[3] He also visited several parts of the country to motivate the poor people to be self-reliant in many ways by establishing like poultry, dairy and fish farm. As a politician he insisted his party, the then ruling party of Bangladesh, to adapt Bogra model to develop the entire country’s economy. His Bogra model has been appreciated by many experts from the abroad. His effort to introduce agro based industry in Bangladesh and to promote communication system are among the biggest examples of his effort to develop the society. His view on decentralization of urban facilities, Global economics understanding, and the necessity of change in political behavior are the facts for his popularity.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 09:17:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015