Tarique Rahman's return could shape Bangladesh's destiny: Expert

Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev states that the return of BNP's Tarique Rahman to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile could reshape the country's destiny, boost the BNP, and potentially lead to electoral victories for the party.

Foreign Affairs Expert Robinder Sachdev on Friday said that the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman's return to Bangladesh after living in London in exile for 17 years, has huge potential to shape the destiny of Bangladesh. He reflected upon the parties in Bangladesh and how ultimately any government in Bangladesh has to have a working relationship with India.

Speaking to ANI, Sachdev said, "His arrival at this juncture has huge potential for him himself and Bangladesh... It will boost BNP as a party in the immediate run. It will give them a clearly defined young leader, which they didn't have so far... Looking at the crowds yesterday, it could create significant momentum, which could translate into electoral victories for their party."

Dissecting the Political Landscape

Describing the parties in Bangladesh, he added, "BNP is there, which is soft Islamic, anti-India. Then you have Jamaat, which is hard Islamic and hard anti-India. Then you have the Citizens National Party of the Students, which is again soft Islamic, but which seems anti-India. Then you have Yunus. We don't know where he will go. Then you also have people of the Awami League- Hasina and their leaders are out or killed or have escaped to other countries, but some of their grassroot leaders might context as independents. So these will be the variables."

Rahman's Vision and India Relations

On Rahman, he said, 'In the overall context- given a new face and the fresh charisma. It is something out of the common, which the Bangladeshi people will see. Sachdev that Rahman mirrored Martin Luther King Jr in his speech- 'I have a dream', he (Rehman) said 'I have a plan'.

"I hope he also has a plan for normalcy of relations between Bangladesh and India... Any government in Bangladesh has to have a working relationship with India. Tarique has the potential to shape the destiny of Bangladesh but it depends..."

The Path to Return

Rahman, who is son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was arrested during the army-backed caretaker government of 2007-08. After his release, he went to London with his family and did not return to the country.

After the ousting of Sheikh Hasina last year, he was acquitted one by one of the cases filed during the Awami League period through legal battles, paving the way for his return to the country. Rahman has returned to the country ahead of the elections in February 2026, and in a time when fundamentalist forces grip the nation, engaging in violence against the Hindu minorities. (ANI)

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