BNP leader Rahman returns home after 17 yrs in exile, appeals for building inclusive Bangladesh

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka to a rousing welcome by thousands of his supporters on Thursday after over 17 years in self-exile -- a homecoming that is expected to energise the party ahead of the February 12 parliamentary elections.

Shortly after landing at the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport, Rahman, the leading contender to be the country's next prime minister, stood barefoot on Bangladeshi soil in a symbolic gesture to mark his return to the country's politics.

Hours later, the 60-year-old son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, addressing his supporters, gave a clarion call to maintain peace and stability in the country and presented a broad plan to build an ''inclusive Bangladesh''.

''It is time for us all to build the country together. We want to build a safe Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, no matter who a woman, man, or child is, they should be able to leave their homes safely and return safely,'' he said.

The homecoming of the BNP heir apparent comes amid a fresh wave of unrest and political instability gripping Bangladesh following the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was a prominent face in last year's mass protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.

''I have a plan for the people of my country and for my country,'' he said referring to US civil rights activist Martin Luther King's ''I have a dream'' remark.

In his speech to BNP supporters at the July 36 Expressway in Dhaka, Rahman said he wants to make an inclusive Bangladesh where people, irrespective of castes, creeds and faiths, can live in a peaceful environment.

''We have people from the hills and the plains in this country Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh, where every woman, man and child can leave home safely,'' he said.

Rahman, accompanied by wife Zubaida and daughter Zaima, was received at the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport in Dhaka by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other senior party leaders amid tight security.

Rahman had been living in London since 2008. He was effectively leading the BNP since 2018 following Zia's ill health.

BNP is seen as the forerunner to capture power in the February polls as former prime minister Hasina's Awami League party has been barred from contesting the election.

Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP's coalition partner during its 2001-2006 tenure in power, has emerged as its main rival in the upcoming polls after the interim government blocked Awami League's participation under the country's tough Anti-Terrorism Act.

After BNP announced Rahman's plan to return from London, he had said, ''like any child, he longs to be near his critically ill mother at her moment of crisis.'' Rahman's return to Dhaka also comes at a time Bangladesh-India relations are on a sharp downturn.

In his speech,the BNP leader didn't make any direct reference to India.

The BNP leader left the airport in a bulletproof bus. Before leaving the airport, Rahman held a phone conversation with interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, and thanked him for the arrangements made for his security as well as for his homecoming events.

''I thank you on behalf of myself and my family. Specially, my sincere gratitude for the measures taken for my security,'' Rahman was seen telling Yunus in a video shared by BNP.

In his address, Rahman also made a mention of the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

''Just like 1971, people from all walks of life, all together, defended the independence and sovereignty of this country in 2024,'' he said in the context of the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government from power last year. Around 4,000 army personnel, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police in riot gear and plainclothes were deployed in Dhaka to ensure Rahman's security.

Bangladesh witnessed violent protests after the death of Hadi. His killing has also triggered some fresh strain in India-Bangladesh ties.

India on Tuesday sought a thorough probe into Hadi's death. India's call for a detailed probe into the case came as unsubstantiated allegations about an Indian hand in Hadi's death triggered anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh.

The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the collapse of the Hasina government.

India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)