Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka on Thursday after nearly 17 years in exile, a move the party hopes will galvanize supporters ahead of the February 12 general elections, where Rahman is widely seen as a leading contender for prime minister.
Hundreds of thousands of BNP supporters thronged the route from the airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and chanting slogans as senior party leaders welcomed Rahman amid tight security. The 60-year-old leader, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, arrived from London, where he had lived since 2008, and greeted the crowds with a smile.
Rahman had been unable to return earlier due to multiple criminal cases filed against him in Bangladesh. He was convicted in absentia on charges including money laundering and in a case linked to an alleged plot to assassinate former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. However, those convictions were overturned after Hasina was ousted last year in a student-led uprising, removing the legal obstacles to his return.
His homecoming also has personal significance, as Khaleda Zia has been seriously ill for months. Party officials said Rahman would visit his mother after attending a reception in the capital.Bangladesh’s political landscape has changed dramatically since Hasina’s removal from power, ending decades of rivalry between her and Khaleda Zia.
A recent survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute indicates the BNP is likely to emerge as the largest party in parliament, with Jamaat-e-Islami also contesting the polls. Meanwhile, Hasina’s Awami League, barred from the election, has threatened unrest, raising concerns over possible disruptions. With the country heading into elections under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Rahman’s return is seen as a pivotal moment in Bangladesh’s fragile political transition.
