Tarique Rahman Returns to Bangladesh After 17 Years: Massive Crowds Greet BNP Leader in Dhaka
Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, after almost seventeen years of exile, which was one of the biggest political events in Bangladesh in recent years. He was received in Dhaka with crowds of mass support, and party followers ensured that roads were filled with people, as close as possible to the airport, and waved BNP flags to greet their long-lost leader.
Since the political turmoil and a series of legal cases, Tarique Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been living in exile in London since 2008, in the midst of military-backed rule. His arrival comes after a radical change in the politics of Bangladesh, where the BNP is gathering strength before the coming of the national elections.
Thousands of his supporters started gathering hours before the arrival of Rahman, chanting slogans and holding banners stating that it was a “new beginning” for the party. Interpretations of the turnout by BNP leaders were seen as being reversed by the sheer enthusiasm of the masses and a new confidence in the leadership of the party. The security was also increased in major parts of the capital with police officers stationed to control the masses of people and guarantee a smooth reception.
Within a short quote after arriving, Rahman thanked his supporters and made unity, the restoration of democracy, and political reform his priorities. He claimed that the fact that the majority came out in large numbers proved that the people wanted change and that he was determined to fight what he termed the struggle of democracy and justice.
Political observers may see Rahman coming back as a potentially radical development to the BNP, a party that had a weak performance in the past couple of years due to a lack of leaders, internal conflicts, and constant opposition by the ruling party. Rahman, as acting chairman, has been carrying on with the party strategy even abroad, though his physical presence in the country would boost organizational discipline and electoral coordination.
“The symbolic importance of this return cannot be overstated,”
said one of the political analysts in Dhaka.
“It means resilience and revival to BNP supporters. To the wider political system, it increases the stakes before the next election.”
The Awami League, the ruling party, has not officially announced its welcome to the return of Rahman, although the top leaders have re-emphasized that the case of law needed to be taken up without references to the political events. Rahman has already refuted corruption-related cases, terming them as politically oriented.
It is being observed that the re-entry of Rahman may help raise political competition in the coming few months. According to BNP insiders, he will also conduct meetings with senior party leaders and grassroots organizers to define an election strategy and establish a national network of the party.
The international community is also taking special note of what is going on in Bangladesh, which is about to face a critical electoral season with calls to allow transparent and inclusive elections. The existence of Rahman in Dhaka could be used to revive opposition politics and put more pressure on the government to create a playing field.
With the capital engulfed by the night, celebrations by the supporters went on in different sections of the city, referring to the homecoming of Rahman as a historic moment. His resurgence into politics may yet be converted into a winning agenda, but as of today, it has definitely changed the political climate in Bangladesh, and it has brought back discussion on democracy in Bangladesh.
