Bangladesh’s Key Political Heir Returns After 17-Year Exile, Shaking Election Landscape

DHAKA: In a historic and seismic moment for Bangladeshi politics, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to a hero’s welcome on Thursday after more than 17 years in exile. Massive, euphoric crowds choked the streets of the capital, signaling a dramatic shift in the nation’s political dynamics just weeks before crucial general elections.

Rahman, the 60-year-old son of ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was greeted by millions of supporters who created a sea of national and party flags along the route from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to a central rally ground. Standing atop a BNP bus escorted by a heavy security detail, he waved to a populace electrified by his unexpected homecoming. The atmosphere was one of cathartic celebration, with supporters chanting slogans, throwing flowers, and holding banners proclaiming a “new dawn.”

His return marks the climax of a stunning political reversal. Rahman fled to London in 2008, citing what he described as politically motivated persecution by the government of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. During her long tenure, he was convicted in absentia on multiple charges, including money laundering and involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina. These convictions were widely seen by the BNP and its allies as instruments of political vendetta.

The legal landscape transformed following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government in August 2024, after a massive, student-led uprising over economic hardship and authoritarian rule. In the subsequent months, Bangladesh’s courts acquitted Rahman of all major charges, dismantling the legal barriers that had kept him abroad.

“As a member of the BNP, I want to say in front of you that I have a plan for the people of my country, for my country,” Rahman declared before a thunderous crowd in Dhaka. “This plan is for the interest of the people, for the development of the country and for changing the fate of the people. For this, I need support from each and every one. If you people stand beside us, God willing, we would be able to implement those plans.”

His homecoming directly reframes the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for February 12. With the Awami League banned from political activities by the current interim administration, the BNP is now positioned as the dominant force. A December survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute projected the BNP on course to win the largest number of seats, making Rahman a leading contender for the prime minister’s office.

The nation is currently under the stewardship of an interim government led by Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus, who assumed power after Hasina fled to India, where she remains in self-exile. This period has been marked by a fragile political transition and deep economic challenges.

Analysts underscore the profound significance of Rahman’s return at this juncture. “People of Bangladesh are expecting free and fair elections, and a legitimate transition of power. In that sense, his return is highly significant,” said political science professor Dilara Choudhury. “It injects a powerful, direct leadership into the BNP campaign and satisfies a deep longing within the party’s base.”

Echoing this sentiment, analyst Mahbub Ullah stated, “I believe a new era in our politics will start with the arrival of Tarique Rahman. He will take the reins of his party firmly and mobilize it for victory.”

Rahman’s return is more than a personal homecoming; it is a pivotal event that consolidates the BNP’s momentum while intensifying the uncertainty and high stakes surrounding Bangladesh’s first post-Hasina election. The nation of nearly 175 million now watches to see if this triumphant return will translate into a decisive electoral victory and a fundamentally altered political order.

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