Prime Minister's Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly. -File Photo

DHAKA, April 15, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister's Press Secretary AAM Saleh Shibly today said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's position among TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of the world for 2026 is a matter of pride for the country and its democracy loving people.

"It is a matter of pride for the country's independence and its democracy-loving people of Bangladesh. The previous fascist government used the courts to block the dissemination of his (Tarique Rahman)speech for at least a decade," he told BSS this evening. 

The press secretary said this in a reaction after Tarique Rahman secured a place in the list of 100 most influential people on the New York-based TIME magazine.

But this recognition by Time magazine has proven that propaganda can mislead people for a while, but truth and reality cannot be stopped, Shibly said.

"Tarique Rahman is not only the leader of Bangladesh, but he is considered a leader of democracy-loving people around the world," he added.

Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP chairman, shared the Time's list of 100 most influential people with prominent leaders like US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Pope Leo XIV, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, among others.

Time Magazine released the list today. Tarique Rahman secured the place in the list under the category of "leaders".