‘Engineer’ Without Degree? Class 12-Pass Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman Trolled Online

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 07:51 IST

Tarique Rahman firmly denied accusations of rigging and dismissed the nickname’s premise.

Bangladesh’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is facing an unusual wave of online trolling as social media users mockingly called him an “engineer" for allegedly “engineering" his party’s sweeping election victory.

The sarcastic label took off after opposition leaders and their supporters questioned the credibility of the February 12 parliamentary elections which saw Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secure 209 out of 297 seats, marking a decisive political shift after a prolonged period of instability.

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How Tarique Rahman’s ‘Engineer’ Label Started

The nickname appears to have originated with National Citizens Party leader Nasiruddin Patwary, who posted a congratulatory message on Facebook laced with sarcasm.

“Congratulations! Engineer Tarique Rahman. Congratulations on your success in the 13th batch of National Election Engineering," Patwary wrote on February 14. The post quickly went viral, drawing hundreds of thousands of reactions and spawning a flood of memes, jokes and AI-generated images depicting Tarique Rahman wearing construction helmets and safety vests.

Soon, social media users joined in.

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One Facebook user wrote, “London theke engineer pass," or “Engineer passed from London," a jab at Tarique Rahman’s 17-year exile in the UK. Another commented, “The man who became an engineer without educational qualifications."

According to his election affidavit, Tarique Rahman’s formal education ended at the Higher Secondary Certificate level, equivalent to completing Class 12.

Opposition Alleges ‘Election Engineering’

Opposition groups, including the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies, have alleged large-scale manipulation in the vote count. NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain claimed there was “clear evidence of result tampering," alleging irregularities in multiple constituencies. Jamaat leaders also accused authorities of altering results after polling ended, filing formal complaints with the Election Commission and threatening protests.

Tarique Rahman firmly denied accusations of rigging and dismissed the nickname’s premise.

“Our engineering was to win the people over. Alhamdulillah, we have succeeded in that," he said at a post-election press conference.

News world ‘Engineer’ Without Degree? Class 12-Pass Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman Trolled Online

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