The acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party arrived amid strict security, with senior BNP leaders welcoming him at Dhaka’s airport.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered along the route from the airport to the reception venue. Many waved party flags, carried banners and flowers, and chanted slogans to greet Rahman.
The massive show of support turned the return into a major political event, with party workers calling it a moment of revival for the BNP.
Party leaders believe Rahman’s presence will energise supporters nationwide. They see him as the strongest contender for prime minister in the February elections.
After spending years abroad, Rahman’s return signals a new phase for the opposition party as it prepares for a high-stakes political contest.
Tarique Rahman’s return has lifted BNP morale. The large crowds show strong public interest. His presence may change the political balance in coming months.
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Rahman, 60, the son of ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 and led the BNP as acting chairman since 2018.
His return comes as Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of nearly 175 million people, enters a sensitive election period under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
The vote is widely seen as crucial to restoring political stability after nearly two years of turmoil. While authorities have pledged a free and peaceful election, recent attacks on media outlets and sporadic violence have raised concerns, making Rahman’s homecoming a defining moment for the BNP and the country’s fragile political transition.
"BELOVED BANGLADESH"
Dressed in a light grey, finely checkered blazer over a crisp white shirt, Rahman exited the airport, removed his shoes to step barefoot onto Bangladeshi soil, and picked up a handful of earth in a symbolic gesture marking his return to the South Asian nation.
He was seen standing beside the driver’s seat in a bus taking him to the reception venue, smiling and waving as crowds surged to catch a glimpse of their returning leader.
Addressing the cheering crowds, Rahman began his speech with the words, “Beloved Bangladesh,” pledging to unite people of all faiths and ensure their safety.
“We will build a Bangladesh that a mother dreams of,” he said, calling on citizens from the hills and plains - Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians - to join him in creating a secure and inclusive nation.
Stressing that with everyone’s cooperation, his vision for rebuilding a democratic country with a strong economic foundation can become reality, he also repeated his appeal for peace three times: “We want peace in the country.”
POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SHIFTING
He had been unable to return while facing multiple criminal cases at home. Rahman was convicted in absentia on charges that included money laundering and in a case linked to an alleged plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The rulings were overturned after Hasina was ousted last year in a student-led uprising, clearing the legal barriers to his return.
His homecoming also carries personal urgency, with Khaleda seriously ill for months. Party officials said Rahman would travel from the airport to a reception venue before visiting his mother.
The political landscape has shifted sharply since Hasina’s removal from power, ending decades in which she and Khaleda largely alternated in office. A December survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute suggested the BNP is on course to win the largest number of parliamentary seats, with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party also in the race.
Hasina's Awami League party, which has been barred from the February 12 election, has threatened unrest that some fear could disrupt the vote.
