Exiled BNP Leader Tarique Rahman to Return for “Historic” Bangladesh Vote After 2024 Uprising

Tarique Rahman, the exiled acting chair of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said he will return to Bangladesh “soon” to contest what he called a landmark national election, his first public pledge to end more than a decade abroad since leaving the country in 2008. In a rare interview broadcast by BBC Bangla on Monday,

Rahman framed the coming polls as the democratic culmination of last year’s student-led uprising that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and ushered in a military-backed interim administration. He signaled he would seek to lead a BNP-headed government, touting plans to diversify the economy beyond garments and pursue a more “balanced” regional diplomacy.

Rahman’s announcement comes amid shifting political ground. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, appointed chief adviser after the August 2024 revolt, has pledged elections in 2026, with the Election Commission previously suspending the Awami League’s registration in May.

The interim authorities argue the ban is necessary to stabilize the country after deadly unrest; critics warn that excluding the former ruling party risks tainting the vote. Rahman, long based in London, maintains that the cases against him are politically motivated and says his party can win an outright majority if a credible election is held.

The BNP leader’s pledge intensifies pressure on the interim government to publish a final election timetable and modalities for participation of all major forces, while raising practical questions over his legal exposure and security on return. With Khaleda Zia already back in Dhaka and smaller movements jostling for space after the uprising, Bangladesh is bracing for a high-stakes campaign that will test promises of a fresh democratic reset after years of polarization.

Sources: Financial Times; The Daily Star; Prothom Alo; Khaleej Times; Associated Press; Reuters.