DHAKA (Realist English). Senior Bangladeshi opposition figure Tarique Rahman returned to the country on Thursday after 17 years in exile, marking a major moment for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as it prepares for national elections early next year.
Rahman, 60, arrived from London, where he has lived since leaving Bangladesh in 2008, citing politically motivated persecution. He currently serves as acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and is widely expected to formally take over leadership from his mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who is 80 and in declining health.
The BNP said it aimed to mobilise up to five million supporters in Dhaka to welcome Rahman, calling the reception unprecedented in scale. Party officials said they coordinated security arrangements with authorities, with supporters lining the route from the airport to the main gathering site.
Rahman is widely seen as the leading contender for the post of prime minister in the general election scheduled for February. His return comes as the BNP regains political momentum following the removal of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina last year, a development that has significantly altered Bangladesh’s political landscape.
Analysts say Rahman’s homecoming could energise the opposition base and reshape the electoral campaign in the coming months, as Bangladesh enters a critical pre-election period.