The national elections in Bangladesh near, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday in a defining homecoming. The return of Rahman, who had been in exile for 17 years, marked one of the most consequential moments in contemporary national politics in the country.
Tarique Rahman’s homecoming comes at a time of deep uncertainty, high public expectations and mounting challenges ahead of the next parliamentary election.
Rahman had left the country in September 2008, after being released from prison under conditions that barred him from engaging in political activity for three years.
Rahman, 60, who has lived in London since he fled Bangladesh in 2008 over what he called a politically motivated persecution, arrived in Dhaka on December 25, 2025.
Now, preparations are underway to welcome Tarique Rahman. The BNP made extensive preparations to accord him a large public reception. A massive stage was erected on a 300-foot stretch on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka Tribune reported.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued detailed traffic instructions ahead of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return to Bangladesh from London on Thursday.
According to the notice, individuals welcoming Tarique Rahman will not be allowed to carry bags, sticks, or similar items, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
They will also be prohibited from joining his motorcade. Motorcycles will not be permitted to stop or travel along the roads from Gulshan and Banani to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport under any circumstances.
Why is Tarique Rahman’s significant?
Tarique Rahman, an aspiring prime minister, is the son of BNP supremo and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He is the heir to Bangladesh’s longtime ruling family and a leader of its most powerful political party.
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.
His return to the country after nearly two decades of exile also marks a significant shift in the national politics after the BNP’s foe, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted following the 2024 student-led protests.
Following the fall of Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the country has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus.
Moreover, the national election in Bangladesh is due in February next year, when the BNP will fight to return to power in the country.
The BNP aims to gather five million supporters to welcome its leader in a show of strength as he emerges as a leading contender for prime minister in the February elections.
According to Reuters, 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.
One killed in crude bomb explosion in Bangladesh
Aday before the arrival of Tarique Rahman, a person was killed in a crude bomb explosion in the Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday, police were quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Witnesses said unidentified men hurled the bomb from a flyover in front of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, the central office of 1971 Liberation War veterans, in Dhaka’s Moghbazar area.
A crude bomb, hurled by unidentified men from the flyover, struck a person who died on the spot, Inspector (Operations) of Hatirjheel Police Station Md Mohiuddin, was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.
Police said the deceased was a private shop employee who was having a cup of tea at a roadside stall under the flyover.
An investigation has been launched into the incident.
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury earlier said that law enforcement agencies have been instructed to maintain maximum vigilance and adopt top-tier security measures.
Authorities have deployed a “double-layer” security cordon combining state and party measures across Dhaka ahead of Rahman’s arrival.