In a significant political development, the son of a former Bangladeshi prime minister has returned to his homeland after spending over 17 years in voluntary exile. This move positions him as a leading candidate in the upcoming national elections.

Tarique Rahman, who relocated to London in 2008 seeking medical care, left Bangladesh with authorization following his reported torture during detention under a military-backed regime that governed from 2006 to 2008.

At 60, Rahman serves as the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the country’s two major political factions in a nation of over 170 million people. His return is seen as a pivotal event as the country gears up for elections scheduled for February 12, under the oversight of the current interim administration.

Rahman, accompanied by his wife and daughter, landed at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late Thursday morning amid stringent security arrangements.

Anticipating his arrival, throngs of supporters lined the route from the airport to a reception venue, stretching approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). Many chose to camp overnight in anticipation. The party’s senior officials had confidently predicted a turnout in the “millions.”

Following the welcoming event, Rahman is expected to visit a hospital to see his ailing mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Zia led a coalition government from 2001 until 2006, after which a military-supported caretaker government took charge amidst political turmoil.

Zia, a former housewife, came to politics after her husband, former military chief and then President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in a military coup in 1981. She held power for the first time in 1991 after becoming a key leader in a nine-year movement against a former military dictator who was forced to resign during a mass uprising in 1990.

Zia is considered one of two key figures in Bangladesh politics along with Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia in November. Hasina was convicted on charges of crimes against humanity involving the crackdown on a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule in 2024. India has not approved requests to extradite Hasina since she fled there last year.

In recent years, Rahman has been a de facto leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He regularly joined meetings and rallies online from London, keeping his party united. He was not openly challenged by any party insiders during his absence.

Bangladesh is now at a political crossroads. The interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is struggling to maintain law and order and restore confidence while attempting a return to democracy after Hasina’s long premiership.

Global human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and the Amnesty International have accused the Yunus government of eroding democratic rights. Liberals in Bangladesh have expressed concerns over press freedom and minority rights and accused Yunus of presiding over a visible rise of Islamists.

Rahman supported Yunus when he took over as the government’s chief adviser, but the relationship with his party has been shaky.

Rahman was convicted in several criminal cases during Hasina’s 15-year rule since 2009. Appeals courts under the Yunus government have acquitted him of all criminal charges including involvement of a grenade attacks on a Hasina rally in 2004.