Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Tarique Rahman Returns to Bangladesh After 17 Years, Recasting Race Before Feb 12 Vote

Court acquittals plus an interim travel pass removed barriers, positioning the BNP leader for the February election.

Overview

  • He landed in Dhaka to vast BNP turnouts and heavy security as senior party figures received him and he set plans to see his ailing mother, Khaleda Zia.
  • Higher courts overturned key convictions tied to corruption and the 2004 attack case, and officials signaled state facilitation for his travel.
  • With the Awami League barred from contesting, the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus is overseeing a race in which surveys place the BNP ahead and Jamaat-e-Islami a factor.
  • BNP leaders say he will finalize voter-registration formalities on December 27, and in his first remarks he pledged safety and justice if elected.
  • His homecoming follows unrest after the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, attacks on media and Indian diplomatic sites, and worsening India–Bangladesh relations including a visa halt in Chattogram.