Bangladesh is set to witness a defining political moment today as Tarique Rahman, the acting chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and heir to the influential Zia family, returns home, ending his nearly 17 years in exile in London.
Rahman, the 60-year-old elder son of ailing former premier Khaleda Zia, is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:55am local time. According to the party, he would travel directly from the airport to the reception venue before visiting his mother, who is being treated in a private hospital with multiple health issues.
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Rahman’s visit comes amid unrest in the country over the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of the Inqilab Mancha cultural group and a key figure in last year's anti-government protests, at a Singapore hospital. And yesterday, a person was killed in a crude bomb explosion in Dhaka's Moghbazar area.
The BNP has emerged as the forerunner in the general elections scheduled in February, after the toppling of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government in a student-led violent movement (July Uprising) on August 5, 2024. The interim government headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus disbanded BNP's main rival, Awami League, under the country's Anti-Terrorism Act through an executive order.
Tarique Rahman’s equation with India
Rahman’s return to Bangladesh is a complex development for India. Historically, India’s relationship with Rahman’s party, the BNP, has been strained, but recent signals suggest a potential reset.
The radical Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami, which was BNP’s ally during its 2001-2006 tenure in power, is now its main rival in the upcoming general polls. With the pro-India Awami League currently banned from elections, New Delhi may view a Rahman-led BNP as a more liberal, predictable, and democratic partner.
Also, while it is true that Rahman has spoken against the country's foreign policies involving India and strongly voiced his concerns about the Teesta water-sharing agreement, he has maintained an equal distance from Pakistan, too. “Not Dilli, not Pindi, nor any other country. Bangladesh first," he had said. Rahman’s ‘Bangladesh-first’ policy is likely to be favoured more by India than the perceived pro-Pakistan tilt of the Yunus-led administration.
However, India’s decision to shelter Hasina continues to be a major diplomatic hurdle between Rahman and New Delhi.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about Khaleda Zia’s deteriorating health and extended “all possible support”. The BNP, in response, expressed its “sincere gratitude” to Modi and the gesture of goodwill.
