How Tarique Rahman's India-Inspired Poll Tactics Paid Off In Bangladesh Elections

Last Updated:February 14, 2026, 05:15 IST

For instance, inspired by Narendra Modi's successful 'chai pe charcha', the BNP organised 'chaayer adda' (conversations over tea)

Relations between India and Bangladesh may not be warm at the moment, but India’s influence on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its chairman Tarique Rahman’s campaign was evident. This influence played a significant role in giving the BNP an edge in the elections.

First, inspired by Narendra Modi’s successful “chai pe charcha", the BNP organised “chaayer adda" (conversations over tea). Conceptualised by Tarique Rahman’s daughter, Zaima Rahman, these gatherings aimed to hold informal interactions across the country, especially with the youth, to gather their feedback and inputs. Narendra Modi’s “chai pe charcha" campaign was highly successful in contributing to his massive 2014 win, which originated from a dig by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar about Modi being a “chaiwala". Although “chaayer adda" did not stem from any similar jibe, Tarique Rahman still faced criticism from his political opponents for being an outsider and a novice.

The second strategy was to project Tarique Rahman as a relaxed, informal leader with no sense of entitlement. This was crucial, as his opponents wanted to depict him as an entitled heir who stayed away from the country and suddenly returned for power. Tarique’s brief to his advisors and campaign managers was clear: they needed to appeal to Generation Z. With around 40 million first-time young voters, the BNP sought their support. Hence, the party introduced the line “Don’t call me sir, call me bhai", reminiscent of Rahul Gandhi’s similar request during his interactions with students.

Next came the reel-making competitions. To engage the growing number of YouTubers and content creators in the country, people were invited to create reels with ideas and suggestions. The winners were awarded, and their reels were showcased. Sources in the BNP told News18 that there was close monitoring of the social media accounts of the main political parties in India for inspiration.

Tarique faces many challenges. With Jamaat-e-Islami not performing too badly, it plans to make life difficult for the new Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Moreover, it has rejected the elections as fixed, accusing the BNP of vote-rigging, similar to the Congress’s accusations against the BJP. All the more reason why Tarique, the outsider, was presented as someone with a plan and blueprint for a new Bangladesh. His posters carried the tagline “I have a plan", akin to Barack Obama’s campaign mantra “Yes, we can".

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