In a major political development, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, made a dramatic return to Dhaka on Thursday. His homecoming, after spending over 17 years in self-exile in Britain, has ignited the party's base just weeks before the crucial February 12 parliamentary elections.
A Rousing Welcome and a Vision for Unity
Thousands of jubilant BNP supporters thronged the July 36 Expressway on the outskirts of Dhaka to welcome their leader. Stepping onto Bangladeshi soil for the first time since 2008, Rahman delivered a powerful speech aimed at national unity. He immediately drew a parallel between the historic 1971 War of Independence and the political upheaval of July 2024, which led to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
"The time has come for us to build the country together," he declared. "This country belongs to people of the hills and the plains, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh, where every woman, man and child can leave home and return safely." His remarks come amid fresh political instability following the death of student activist Sharif Osman Hadi on December 18.
"I Have a Plan": Echoes of a Dream and a Political Promise
In a move that captured the nation's attention, Tarique Rahman invoked the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech, but with a distinct political twist. "I have a plan," he announced to the crowd. "This plan is for the interest of the people, for the country's development. To implement this, I need your support." He vowed to maintain peace and order at any cost and build an inclusive nation.
He emphasized that repaying the debt to martyrs of both 1971 and 2024 required building the Bangladesh of collective dreams. "Whatever political party we belong to, whatever religion we believe in, whether we are non-partisan individuals - all must join hands to maintain law and order," Rahman stated, calling for a broad coalition beyond partisan lines.
The Road to the Premiership and an Emotional Reunion
Senior BNP functionaries have confirmed that Tarique Rahman will be the Prime Ministerial candidate if the party secures victory in the upcoming polls. The 60-year-old leader, who has been effectively steering the BNP from London since 2018 due to his mother's ill health, marked his return with a symbolic barefoot gesture on the tarmac.
His return was also a deeply personal moment. Accompanied by his wife Zubaida and daughter Zaima, Rahman later visited the hospital where his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is undergoing treatment. This marked their first reunion on Bangladeshi soil in more than 17 years, adding an emotional layer to the high-stakes political narrative.
The BNP is banking on Rahman's return to energize its grassroots support and improve its prospects in the February elections. His message of unity and a concrete "plan" is set to redefine the campaign landscape in the final stretch.
