Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been included in the 2027 edition of The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims, published by the Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. This is his first inclusion in the list.
Two other Bangladeshi women, human rights activist Dr Hamida Hossain and lawyer Razia Sultana, have also been featured in the publication.
The 18th edition of the publication places Tarique Rahman in the ‘Political’ category. It describes him as a prominent Bangladeshi politician who led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party during his 17 years in exile in London before returning to the country in 2025.
‘Returning in December 2025 after the 2024 uprising, Rahman led the BNP to a sweeping two-thirds parliamentary majority in the February 2026 general election,’ the publication says.
Dr Hamida Hossain and Razia Sultana have been included in the ‘Social Issues’ category.
Dr Hamida, a co-founder of Ain o Salish Kendra, is recognised for her longstanding contributions to women’s rights and democratic values.
Razia Sultana is internationally known for her work on the Rohingya crisis and efforts to protect the rights of refugee women and children.
The publication says its selections are based on individuals’ ability to exert political, ideological, cultural and financial influence over the world’s estimated 2.2 billion Muslims.
Only the top 50 individuals are ranked numerically, while the remaining 450 are listed under 13 categories, including politics, theology, social services, business, science and culture. The three Bangladeshis are included in this unranked group.
In the 2026 edition, former interim government chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus was ranked 50th among the top 50. He does not feature in the latest edition.
Cox’s Bazar Life Desk
