News Desk: After 17 years in exile, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, seeking to reintroduce himself as a unifying national leader at a time of deep political uncertainty and mounting violence.
Addressing thousands of supporters shortly after landing in Dhaka, Rahman invoked the language of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., declaring, “I have a plan,” and promising an inclusive Bangladesh with space for all ethnic and religious communities.
The wait of 17 long years has finally come to an end.
Today, Dhaka witnessed history as millions of people gathered to welcome BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman back to his homeland. After 17 years of political exile, the leader of the masses has returned to his motherland.
The… pic.twitter.com/WNNjw3alM4— Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP (@bdbnp78) December 25, 2025
A return amid turmoil
Rahman’s homecoming comes just weeks before parliamentary elections that remain clouded by doubt amid persistent political violence, attacks on politicians and journalists, and growing concerns over the safety of religious minorities. With the Bangladesh Awami League barred from contesting the polls following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the BNP is widely seen as the frontrunner.
In his first public speech after returning, Rahman described Hasina’s removal as Bangladesh’s “second liberation,” drawing parallels with the country’s 1971 independence struggle. “Just as people from all walks of life united in 1971, they came together again in 2024 to protect Bangladesh’s sovereignty,” he said, according to The Daily Star.
‘A country for all’
Echoing inclusive themes, Rahman said Bangladesh belongs equally to “the people of the hills and the plains — Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.” He pledged to restore democratic freedoms and ensure public safety. “People want their right to speak back. They want their democratic rights back. We want to build a Bangladesh where every woman, man and child can leave home and return safely,” he said.
#Gravitas | Tarique Rahman is back in Dhaka after nearly 17 years in exile and the clock is already ticking
Can he heal a polarised nation? Can he restore stability and public confidence? And can he help steer Bangladesh back toward democracy?@MollyGambhir has more on this pic.twitter.com/bASrHwL3TR
— WION (@WIONews) December 25, 2025
Rahman added that his leadership would reject what he called hardline forces that emerged during the 1947 partition and later undermined the ideals of 1971.
Political stakes
Rahman, the son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is the BNP’s prime ministerial face for the upcoming election. With Khaleda Zia currently hospitalised, Rahman is set to lead the party’s national campaign.
Massive reception, tight security
Rahman arrived in Dhaka from London with his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman. From the airport, he travelled along the July Expressway to address supporters before visiting Evercare Hospital to see his mother, according to Prothom Alo. Thousands of BNP supporters lined the roads to welcome him.
Given the volatile security situation — including recent attacks by Islamist groups that have also targeted BNP figures — authorities deployed heavy security along Rahman’s route and at key venues.
Rahman has lived in exile since 2008 and has repeatedly claimed that the previous Hasina-led government conspired to eliminate him. His dramatic return now places him at the centre of Bangladesh’s high-stakes political transition, as the country braces for elections that could redefine its future — if they take place on schedule.
