Exiled BNP Leader Returns to Challenge Post-Uprising Political Order
After nearly 17 years in self-exile, Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has returned to contest Thursday’s election, expressing confidence in a sweeping victory. He left the country in 2008 amid convictions filed during the rule of rival Sheikh Hasina, whose government was removed in a 2024 student-led uprising. Rahman says massive crowds that welcomed him back to Dhaka signal strong public backing after years of restrictions on his supporters’ political participation.
Bangladesh Election Set to Reshape Regional Ties and Domestic Reforms
Rahman, son of former president Ziaur Rahman and successor to BNP chief Khaleda Zia, is contesting against more than 50 parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The Awami League, previously led by Hasina, is barred from the vote by an interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which cited security concerns and ongoing investigations. The UN has accused the former government of systematic rights violations during protests that left about 1,400 dead.
If elected, Rahman pledges reforms focused on law and order, democratic restoration, and economic revival, including job creation for 10 million people and investment in technology and the blue economy. He plans closer ties with Saudi Arabia, home to millions of Bangladeshi workers, while maintaining balanced relations with India and Pakistan. He also vows accountability for past abuses, insisting that anyone responsible for crimes must face trial under the rule of law.
