In a significant departure from established protocol, Bangladesh’s interim authorities have granted Special Security Force (SSF) protection to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, ahead of his scheduled return to Dhaka on December 25, which will end nearly 18 years of his self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.
A gazette notification issued on December 23 by the office of Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus categorised Tarique Rahman, son of ailing former Bangladesh premier Khaleda Zia, as a “Very Important Person” (VIP), making him eligible for SSF security. Until now, SSF protection – established under a 2021 law – was reserved exclusively for the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Adviser.
The amendment to the SSF law by the Yunus-led interim regime extends this high-level security cover to a VIP, specifically naming Rahman. Under the revised provisions, the SSF will be responsible not only for his close physical protection but also for securing his residence, office and public engagements, including election-related activities.
According to the gazette, the scale and nature of the security arrangement will be determined by threat perception assessments conducted by Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies and reviewed by the SSF director general. The SSF will also generate its own assessments through its preventive intelligence mechanisms. Personnel assigned to Rahman’s security detail will undergo periodic security vetting.
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The move has come amid visible tensions within the country’s power structure. On the same day the gazette was issued, senior Bangladesh Army officials raised strong objections to the appointment of National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman as the new Home Ministry Adviser, replacing Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
The Army’s opposition is rooted in its longstanding concerns over Khalilur’s citizenship status, which first surfaced during his appointment as NSA while simultaneously serving as High Representative for the Rohingya issue. Relations further deteriorated following Khalilur’s proposal for a “humanitarian corridor” between Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Rakhine State – an idea that reportedly brought him into direct confrontation with Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, who publicly rejected the plan.
Following that episode, the Army leadership reportedly barred Khalilur from entering Dhaka Cantonment and declined to participate in meetings chaired by him.
Rahman’s return and the extraordinary security arrangements surrounding it are being closely watched, as they signal a potential political recalibration ahead of Bangladesh’s next electoral phase.
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