Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday with a promise to deliver safety and justice if his party wins next year's elections.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the route from Dhaka’s airport to a reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners and flowers, as senior BNP leaders received Rahman under tight security.
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 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.
