Memes, AI images and mockery: Why Tarique Rahman, a 12th pass, is being sarcastically branded an 'engineer'

After BNP's election win, critics from the Jamaat-led alliance mock PM Tarique Rahman as "engineer," alleging he manipulated results. The term went viral, sparking memes and satire amid formal complaints of rigging and Rahman's denial of wrongdoing.

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Days after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s sweeping victory in the February 12 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has found himself with an unexpected new title. Allies-turned-critics from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance have begun calling him an “engineer,” not for academic brilliance, but for allegedly “engineering” the election outcome.

The label originated from leaders of the National Citizens Party, or NCP, a group born out of the anti-Sheikh Hasina movement and now part of the Jamaat-led alliance. The term has since exploded across social media, spawning memes, jokes, and AI-generated images of Rahman wearing an engineer’s hard hat, much to the amusement of his critics.

How the “engineer” label began

The first prominent use of the moniker came from NCP leader Nasiruddin Patwary, who had already gained attention during the campaign by calling BNP heavyweight Mirza Abbas a “chaandabaaj,” meaning extortionist or illegal fundraiser.

After the election results, Patwary turned his attention to Rahman. On February 14, he wrote on Facebook, “Congratulations! Engineer Tarique Rahman. Congratulations on your success in the 13th batch of National Election Engineering.”

The post drew massive engagement, with 7.7 lakh likes and reactions at the time of writing. Other NCP and Jamaat supporters quickly joined in, turning the label into a viral political taunt.

Memes, jokes and London degrees

Social media users aligned with the Jamaat and NCP wasted no time. AI-generated images showed Rahman in construction gear. One Facebook user, Amir Hossain Robin, wrote, “London theke engineer pass,” a sarcastic jab suggesting Rahman earned his so-called engineering credentials while living in London for 17 years.

Another user, Maksuda Akter, posted, “The man who became an engineer without educational qualifications.”

The joke rests on publicly available election affidavits. According to The Daily Star and The Business Standard, Rahman’s declared educational qualification is Higher Secondary Certificate level. No engineering degree, imported or otherwise.

A Facebook page called Sohan The Weird Guy 4.0 summed it up with theatrical flair, posting an AI image captioned, “The man. The myth. The legend. The engineer.”

What the allegations are about

Behind the humour lies a serious accusation. Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP allege large-scale rigging and result manipulation in the election that gave the BNP more than 200 seats.

NCP leader Asif Mahmud claimed he had “clear evidence of result tampering aimed at the 11-party alliance’s top candidates.” He alleged irregularities in Dhaka-13, Dhaka-15, Dhaka-17, Dhaka-19 and Dhaka-11, arguing that winners were declared before counting finished and that polling data was manipulated.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman echoed the charge. “Elections naturally involve wins and losses, and if those occur normally, people usually accept them. But if there is major discrimination or irregularities, it naturally raises questions,” he said.

Formal complaints have been filed with the Election Commission challenging results in 32 constituencies.

Tarique Rahman’s response

When asked directly about “engineering” the election at a February 14 press conference, Rahman responded calmly. While BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir shook his head in disapproval, Rahman said the only engineering his party did was “convincing the people to vote for them.”

The response only added fuel to the satire. Reposting the clip, a Kushtia-based Facebook user wrote, “Engineer Tarique Rahman hits a hugeee six!”

Jamaat ups the rhetoric

The name-calling has since escalated. Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said results were “deliberately altered to defeat the candidates of Jamaat and the 11-party alliance” and even alleged involvement of Election Commission officials.

Another assistant secretary general, Hamidur Rahman Azad, said seats were lost due to “election engineering” and suspiciously narrow margins.

Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar went further. “The dreams people had for Bangladesh had been shattered by election manipulation, irregularities and post-poll violence,” he said, adding, “Winning through a flawed election and then unleashing attacks and rape reminds us again of fascism.”

Patwary later doubled down. “The street movement must continue against the repression of women. The alliance will hold ‘engineer’ Tarique Rahman accountable. We feared none but Allah. We urge people not to lose hope,” he said.

The forgotten engineer?

Amid the sarcasm and shouting, some analysts argue the real “engineer” of the election narrative lies elsewhere. Muhammad Yunus, who oversaw the polls while excluding the Awami League, has largely escaped scrutiny.

As veteran journalist Swadesh Roy put it, “The biggest success of Yunus is that he has organised an election by keeping away Bengali nationalist forces that command at least 40% of Bangladesh’s vote share. He also got it approved as ‘inclusive’ by democratic countries.”

Yet for now, it is Tarique Rahman who wears the hard hat, at least in memes. What began as a sarcastic Facebook post has turned “engineer” into the latest political epithet in Bangladesh’s already colourful electoral lexicon.