Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting Chairman Tarique Rahman returned from nearly 17 years in exile on Thursday, a homecoming the party hopes will energise supporters with Rahman poised to be the top contender for prime minister in February.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the route from Dhaka’s airport to the reception venue, waving party flags and carrying placards, banners and flowers, while chanting slogans welcoming Rahman, as senior BNP leaders received him at the airport under tight security.

Rahman, 60, the son of ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has lived in London since 2008 and led the BNP as acting chairman since 2018.

His return comes as Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of nearly 175 million people, enters a sensitive election period under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The vote is widely seen as crucial to restoring political stability after nearly two years of turmoil. While authorities have pledged a free and peaceful election, recent attacks on media outlets and sporadic violence have raised concerns, making Rahman’s homecoming a defining moment for the BNP and the country’s fragile political transition.

'Beloved Bangladesh'

Dressed in a light grey, finely checkered blazer over a crisp white shirt, Rahman exited the airport, removed his shoes to step barefoot onto Bangladeshi soil, and picked up a handful of earth in a symbolic gesture marking his return to the South Asian nation.

He was seen standing beside the driver’s seat in a bus taking him to the reception venue, smiling and waving as crowds surged to catch a glimpse of their returning leader.

Addressing the cheering crowds, Rahman began his speech with the words, “Beloved Bangladesh,” pledging to unite people of all faiths and ensure their safety.

“We will build a Bangladesh that a mother dreams of,” he said, calling on citizens from the hills and plains - Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians - to join him in creating a secure and inclusive nation.

Stressing that with everyone’s cooperation, his vision for rebuilding a democratic country with a strong economic foundation can become reality, he also repeated his appeal for peace three times: “We want peace in the country.”

Political landscape shifting

He had been unable to return while facing multiple criminal cases at home. Rahman was convicted in absentia on charges that included money laundering and in a case linked to an alleged plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The rulings were overturned after Hasina was ousted last year in a student-led uprising, clearing the legal barriers to his return.

His homecoming also carries personal urgency, with Khaleda seriously ill for months. Party officials said Rahman would travel from the airport to a reception venue before visiting his mother.

The political landscape has shifted sharply since Hasina’s removal from power, ending decades in which she and Khaleda largely alternated in office. A December survey by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute suggested the BNP is on course to win the largest number of parliamentary seats, with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party also in the race.

Hasina's Awami League party, which has been barred from the February 12 election, has threatened unrest that some fear could disrupt the vote.