Bangladesh leader seen as likely next prime minister set to return from exile ahead of polls
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman's decision to return from exile is driven by both political developments and personal circumstances.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) aims to gather five million supporters to welcome its leader Tarique Rahman home from nearly 17 years in exile on Dec 25, a show of strength as he emerges as a leading contender for prime minister in the February election
Mr Rahman, 60, is the son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia
His return from London comes as his BNP is on the ascendant following the ouster of its arch foe, long-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina
A December survey by the US-based International Republican Institute suggests 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 election, has threatened unrest that some fear could jeopardise the vote.
Mr Rahman’s decision to return is driven by both political developments and personal circumstances. His mother has been seriously ill for months, prompting what party insiders describe as an urgent trip home.
‘Defining political moment,’ says BNP
BNP leaders said they are preparing for what they call an “unprecedented” gathering in the capital, aiming to draw more than five million supporters along the route from the airport to the reception venue.
“This will be a defining political moment,” said senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, adding that security arrangements are being closely coordinated with the authorities to ensure order.
Mr Rahman has lived in London since 2008 after facing multiple criminal convictions at home, including for money laundering and in a case related to a plot to assassinate Hasina.
He was, however, acquitted of all charges after Hasina’s removal, clearing the legal barriers that had delayed his return.
BNP officials said he will travel directly from the airport to the reception venue before visiting his mother.
Youth party welcomes his return
Mr Rahman’s return comes as the Muslim-majority South Asian 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 viewed as crucial to restoring political stability after nearly two years of turmoil.
Bangladesh is at a crossroads, with Mr Rahman’s return testing the BNP’s ability to mobilise peacefully and the interim administration’s promise to deliver a credible transfer of power. While the government has pledged a free and peaceful election, recent attacks on media outlets and sporadic violence
The National Citizen Party (NCP), which emerged from the youth protest movement that toppled Hasina, said it views Mr Rahman’s return positively.
“Tarique Rahman was forced into exile under severe pressure and threats, so his homecoming carries symbolic weight,” NCP spokesman Khan Muhammad Mursalin said.
“His arrival will undoubtedly energise party leaders and supporters... On the path to democracy, we will stand with him.” REUTERS
