Bangladesh PM Tarique suggests he will be supporting England at FIFA World Cup

“I had been in a country for a long time, you understand,” the prime minister says

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has hinted that he will be supporting England in the FIFA World Cup.

The premier dropped the clue while speaking to journalists at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on Tuesday afternoon, though he stopped short of directly naming the Three Lions.

Asked which country he was supporting in the tournament, Tarique replied: “I had been in a country for a long time; (so) you understand.”

He then turned the question back to the journalist, asking: “Have you got the answer?”

England, winners of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, are scheduled to face Croatia in their opening match of the tournament at 2am Bangladesh time on Thursday.

After securing bail from the Supreme Court, Tarique travelled to London with his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman for medical treatment in September 2008.

He spent 17 years in London before returning to Bangladesh on Dec 25, 2025.

Tarique was the party’s acting chairman at that time.