DHAKA – After nearly two decades away, Tarique Rahman is set to walk back into a Bangladesh vastly different from the one he left behind. His return marks the re-entry of one of the country’s most polarising yet influential political figures at a time when the nation stands on the threshold of political transition.
Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), left Bangladesh in 2008 following corruption charges and mounting political hostility. He continuously argued that the allegations were orchestrated by rivals determined to dismantle his family’s political dominance. Now aged 60, he returns with renewed legal standing and restored political leverage after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s once-formidable administration.
Bangladesh’s political environment has shifted dramatically since his departure. The collapse of Hasina’s government following widespread public unrest created a vacuum and revived political aspirations within BNP. The interim leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus also points to an effort to stabilise governance and rebuild political fairness leading into the February 2026 elections.
Tarique’s leadership is poised to become even more critical as his mother, Khaleda Zia, remains gravely ill. Once fiercely determined to resume political campaigning, her hospitalisation leaves Tarique as the undeniable heir to BNP’s leadership mantle and the figure expected to steer the party into the next electoral battle.
Yet, his return is layered with symbolism and scrutiny. Supporters hail him as a hero returning to reclaim democratic space. Meanwhile, critics recall years of allegations suggesting corruption and dominance politics under his influence. Leaked diplomatic communications once portrayed him as a leader who unsettled allies and enemies alike. Still, the BNP narrative frames him as a victim of politically charged prosecutions.
Historically, Tarique’s life story is intertwined with Bangladesh’s turbulent past. Born in what was then East Pakistan, he experienced political detention as a child during the 1971 Liberation War, lost his father to assassination and grew up within the intense rivalries that shaped the country’s modern political identity.
His exile years in London were quieter publicly, but politically strategic. He remained an active force behind BNP’s decisions, and since Hasina’s removal, has amplified engagement through speeches, digital campaigns and party coordination across diaspora communities.
As he returns home, Bangladesh faces numerous uncertainties — recovering democratic institutions, rebuilding economic confidence and stabilising national unity. Tarique’s leadership and political maturity will be tested intensely.
Whether he becomes a unifying statesman or remains a sharply divisive figure will depend on how he navigates legal, political and emotional expectations from millions who have waited 17 years to see him back on national soil.