Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after 17 years of self-imposed exile, as the country faces a deepening political crisis.
Rahman arrived in Dhaka aboard a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman and their daughter Zaima Rahman. He landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, where he received a warm welcome from senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, members of the party’s Standing Committee and other central leaders.
After his arrival, Rahman left the airport in a bulletproof bus for a reception venue on the capital’s 300 Feet Road, where he is scheduled to address a massive public gathering, Bangladeshi news agency UNB reported.
According to reports, thousands of BNP supporters gathered at the venue from early morning to welcome the leader, waving banners and chanting slogans such as “The leader is coming”.
Following the rally, Rahman is expected to visit his mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who has been undergoing treatment in the Coronary Care Unit of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka for nearly a month.
Earlier in the day, the flight carrying Rahman made a brief stop at Sylhet Osmani International Airport before proceeding to Dhaka.
Sharing a photograph on his official social media platform, Rahman wrote: “Back in Bangladesh skies after 6,314 days!”
Security measures were tightened across key areas of the capital ahead of Rahman’s return. From early Thursday morning, a heavy deployment of law enforcement personnel was seen at the two main gates of the airport. The security arrangements included members of the Bangladesh Army, Airport Armed Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Rapid Action Battalion, all placed on high alert.
Rahman’s return comes as the Election Commission announced that Bangladesh’s 13th national parliamentary elections, along with a referendum on the July Charter, will be held on February 12 next year.
Political analysts believe that Rahman’s return and potential participation in the February 2026 elections will be a significant test amid ongoing political turbulence under the Yunus-led interim government, which is facing growing pressure to ensure a free, fair and credible electoral process.
Since the election schedule was announced, Bangladesh has witnessed widespread violence. Critics have warned that Rahman’s re-entry into the country’s volatile political landscape could further intensify tensions nationwide.
Khaleda Zia’s BNP had earlier acted in close coordination with the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus in the overthrow of the democratically elected Awami League government last year.
With IANS inputs