- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bangladesh Prime Ministers List: Tarique Rahman, the chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is on course to lead the country after getting a landslide mandate in his favour in the first parliamentary election that took place since the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina and the leader of the Awami League from the country in 2024.
Rahman, who returned two months before the election, lived in self-imposed exile in London for nearly two decades in London. Widely known around the country as Tarique Zia, Rahman’s identity has historically shaped his public and private life largely. His father, Ziaur Rahman, an army commander, rose to prominence following a 1975 coup in which the founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, also called Bangabandhu, was killed.
The events set the ball rolling between the two families, which have shaped Bangladesh’s political contour over time. In the past, the political matriarchs from these two parties, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia, have occupied the position of Prime Minister for a majority of the time period.
Let us take a look at the various Prime Ministers who have come to power in Bangladesh.
How Many Prime Ministers Were There In Bangladesh?
Bangladesh had 11 Prime Ministers before the ongoing elections. It also had four caretaker governments in the past, which had shouldered political responsibility in the absence of the head of state. The country had a four-year lean period from 1982 to 1986 under military rule, during which parliamentary elections were banned in the country.
Who Was The First Prime Minister In 1971?
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Awami League, was the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who held the position from 12 January 1972 till 25 January 1975.
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List Of Bangladesh Prime Ministers (1972-2025)
No | Name | Term | Party |
1 | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | 12 January 1972-25 January 1975 | Awami League |
— | Muhammad Mansur Ali | 25 January 1975-15 August 1975 | Awami League |
2 | Mashiur Rahman (acting) | 15 August 1975-6 November 1975 | Independent |
3 | Muhammad Habibullah Bahar | 6 November 1975-20 November 1975 | — |
4 | Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed | 29 November 1975-7 November 1976 | — |
5 | M A Hannan (acting) | 7 November 1976 – 29 June 1978 | BNP precursor |
6 | Mohammad Martuza | 29 June 1978-12 June 1981 | — |
7 | Shah Azizur Rahman | 12 June 1981-24 March 1982 | BNP |
— | Position vacant (military rule) | 1982–1986 | — |
8 | Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury | 27 December 1986-6 December 1990 | Jatiya Party |
9 | Kazi Zafar Ahmed | 6 December 1990-20 October 1991 | — |
10 | Khaleda Zia | 20 October 1991-15 October 1996 5 July 2001-21 October 2006 | BNP |
11 | Muhammad Habibur Rahman (acting) | 30 October 1996-23 June 1996 | Independent |
12 | Sheikh Hasina | 23 June 1996-15 July 2001 6 January 2009-5 August 2024 | Awami League |
13 | Latifur Rahman (chief adviser, acting equivalent) | 15 Jul 2001 – 10 Oct 2001 | Caretaker |
14 | Iajuddin Ahmed (chief adviser, acting equiv.) | 29 Oct 2006 – 12 Jan 2007 | Caretaker |
15 | Fakhruddin Ahmed (chief adviser, acting equivalent) | 12 January 2007-6 January 2009 | Caretaker |
16 | Muhammad Yunus (chief adviser, post-2024 interim) | 8 Aug 2024-13 February 2026 | Caretaker |
17 | Tarique Rahman | TBD | BNP |