Dhaka: As former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's health takes a serious turn and with parliamentary elections on the horizon, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) announced that Tarique Rahman will return to Dhaka on December 25, ending 17 years of self-exile in London.
“We are pleased to announce that our Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, will return to Dhaka on December 25,” he said. Alamgir added that “the party welcomes him,” calling the move both emotional and politically necessary.
Rahman has long remained the party’s de facto leader from abroad, coordinating strategy through online platforms. “For obscure reasons, he has been unable to return home and be with his ailing mother,” BNP leaders said.
Khaleda Zia, 80, has been receiving treatment at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple complications, and she was placed on ventilator support last week.
The return was announced a day after Bangladesh’s election commission confirmed that the 13th parliamentary elections will be held on February 12. The BNP has signalled that if Zia is unable to take on political responsibilities, Rahman would be its candidate for prime minister should the party win power.
More news from Dhaka• The US Embassy in Dhaka has issued a nationwide security alert for its citizens after Bangladesh announced that its next parliamentary election and a national referendum will be held simultaneously on February 12, 2026. • Bangladesh's President Mohammed Shahabuddin has said he wants to leave office midway through his tenure after the country's February parliamentary election, citing "humiliation" by the interim administration • Awami League has outrightly rejected the upcoming elections, accusing the interim government of operating as a ‘killer-fascist’ clique incapable of holding free and fair polls. • Marking Bangladesh’s Victory Day this week, the country's High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, called for “closer and more meaningful" cooperation between India and Bangladesh, stressing the need for both countries to recognize their deep interdependence and shared interests. • India has firmly rejected allegations from Bangladesh’s interim government, asserting that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities harmful to Dhaka’s interests. |
