Islamist Leader Shafiqur Rahman Emerges as Prime Minister Contender in Bangladesh

Dhaka, 10 February 2026 – Shafiqur Rahman, head of the Islamist Jamaat‑e‑Islami party, has risen from political obscurity to become a serious contender for Bangladesh’s prime ministership. His campaign posters and billboards now appear across Dhaka, urging voters to support the country’s first Islamist-led government in Thursday’s general election.

The 67-year-old doctor and party chief has spent decades mostly active within Islamist circles and has previously been jailed for 15 months in 2022 for allegedly assisting a banned militant outfit. Under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Jamaat‑e‑Islami was banned and its top leaders prosecuted for 1971 war crimes.

The 2024 Gen Z-led uprising, which forced Hasina into exile, transformed Rahman’s fortunes. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus eased restrictions on the party, and in 2025, a court lifted the ban, allowing Jamaat to resume political and charitable activities. Rahman quickly became a highly visible figure, noted for his white beard and attire.

Born in 1958 in Moulvibazar, Rahman started politically in a leftist student organisation before joining Jamaat’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. He formally joined Jamaat in 1984, unsuccessfully contested national elections multiple times, and became party chief in 2020.
 

Rahman comes from a family of doctors: his wife, two daughters, and son are all in the medical profession, and he founded a family-owned hospital in Sylhet. Despite his recent prominence, many Dhaka residents say they barely knew him during Hasina’s tenure, contrasting with his main rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Tarique Rahman. Notably, the two Rahmans are unrelated.

Jamaat‑led alliances are expected to closely challenge the BNP, marking a significant moment in Bangladesh’s first national election since the 2024 uprising.