Tarique Rahman's jail-free day today

The 19th Jail-Free Day of BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is being celebrated today (Thursday), as he celebrates the day of his freedom after spending almost 18 months in jail.

Tarique was detained on March 7, 2007, when a military-backed caretaker government was in charge, having taken over after the political turmoil of January 11. His arrest has been termed as a political one by his party.

He was eventually granted bail in all the cases charged against him and got freed on September 3, 2008. According to party sources, Tarique was arrested from his home in Dhaka Cantonment when he was BNP’s senior joint secretary general.

The party also alleged that he was physically and mentally tortured while in jail.

After obtaining bail in all the cases, Tarique went to England in 2008 for medical treatment. He returned to Bangladesh on December 25, 2025, after spending several years outside the country.

After winning the parliamentary election of February 12, 2026, Tarique Rahman established his government as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

-AJM