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The acting leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is seen as the front-runner to become prime minister in February’s election.
Published December 25, 2025
Tariq Rahman, heir to Bangladesh’s longtime ruler and leader of the country’s powerful opposition, has returned home after 17 years in exile, his party announced.
Rahman, 60, an ambitious prime minister who has lived in London since fleeing Bangladesh in 2008 citing politically motivated persecution, arrived in Dhaka on Thursday.
The acting leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is expected to take over from his ailing mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, 80.
The BNP earlier said it aimed to mobilize up to 5 million supporters in the capital to welcome Mr Rahman.
BNP leaders said their supporters were expected to line the roadside from the airport to the reception venue on Thursday and were coordinating authorities and security arrangements for what they called an “unprecedented” mobilization.
Rahman is widely seen as the front-runner for prime minister in February’s general election.
His appointment comes as the BNP regains momentum after the ouster of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina last year.
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