Bangladesh opposition leader Tarique Rahman returns after 17 years in exile

After almost 17 years in exile, Tarique Rahman, the heir to Bangladesh’s long-standing family and opposition leader, has returned to the country, according to his party.

Rahman, 60, a former Bangladeshi prime minister who has emigrated to London after fleeing the country in 2008 because of what he called politically motivated persecution, arrived on Thursday.

He is expected to succeed his ailing mother, 80-year-old former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

As senior BNP leaders welcomed Rahman at the airport under heavy security, hundreds of thousands of supporters scurried from the capital’s airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners, and flowers along the way.

Rahman waved to the crowd while wearing a light grey, finely chequered blazer over a crisp white shirt.

For what it called an “unprecedented” mobilization, the BNP had previously stated that it wanted to gather up to five million supporters in the capital to welcome Rahman.

In the general election in February, Rahman is widely regarded as the front-runner for prime ministerial office.

After Sheikh Hasina’s longtime leader was ousted in 2024, his arrival coincides with the BNP’s revival.

shifting political landscape

Rahman was unable to return to Bangladesh because of his domestic violence struggles.

He was found guilty in absentia on charges including money laundering and a case involving an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina, but the decisions were overturned after his ouster last year in a student-led uprising, removing the legal obstacles to his return.

Khaleda Zia has been seriously ill for months, so his return also comes with a sense of urgency. Before visiting his mother, Rahman would travel from the airport to a reception area, according to party officials.

Since Hasina’s ouster from power, which marked the end of decades of her and Khaleda Zia’s largely alternate office, has changed dramatically.

According to a survey conducted by the American-based International Republican Institute in December, the BNP is expected to take the most parliamentary seats, along with the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Some people fear unrest could disrupt the election, according to Hasina’s Awami League, which has been barred from the election.