Leaders from across political and civil spheres have welcomed BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s return after more than 17 years in exile, noting its potential to fill a leadership vacuum.
They said the return could contribute to a more inclusive political environment and strengthen multi-party democracy.
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser, said Tarique Rahman’s return was expected to ease the ongoing democratic transition and help stabilise the political landscape.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday during a visit to the Holy Rosary Queen Church in Dhaka’s Tejgaon, Alam said the country was currently passing through a critical transitional phase.
“There is a political vacuum in the country, and that vacuum will be filled with the arrival of Tarique Rahman. As the leader of the country’s largest political party, his return is highly significant for stabilising the political scenario,” he said.
Responding to questions about security, he said the BNP would take responsibility for Tarique Rahman’s protection and had sought necessary cooperation from the government, adding that all sides wanted the return to take place peacefully.
In a Facebook post, National Citizen Party Convener Nahid Islam described Tarique’s return as a reflection of Bangladesh’s long democratic struggle, saying it reaffirmed the right of a citizen and political leader to return to his homeland.
He said Tarique Rahman and his family had been subjected to state repression due to political differences and forced into prolonged exile, and that the new political reality created through mass uprisings and sacrifices had made his return possible.
Nahid emphasised the need for a democratic Bangladesh where political dissent is treated as a right rather than a crime, and where no leader would face state persecution for holding opposing views. He said Tarique Rahman’s return would strengthen multi-party democratic practice and called for coexistence, mutual respect and healthy political competition in the new political context.
NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah in a separate Facebook post, said Tarique’s return should be seen not as a personal or party achievement, but as an important milestone in Bangladesh’s continuous democratic struggle.
The chief organiser of the NCP’s southern region said the prolonged exile of Tarique Rahman and his family exposed the nature of authoritarian rule over the past decade and a half, adding that no amount of repression could permanently suppress the political will of the people. He stressed that the responsibility now lay with all political actors to ensure rule of law, political rights and the restoration of people’s sovereignty.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman also extended a welcome. In a Facebook post on Thursday, he wrote: “Tarique Rahman, welcome home with your family!” The post, shared from his verified account and signed both in English and Bangla, was later shared on the party’s official page after Tarique Rahman, along with his wife and daughter, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:40am.
Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Ameer Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, also known by his title Charmonai Pir, welcomed Tarique Rahman’s return, expressing hope that it would have a positive impact on national politics.
He said the absence of direct leadership in a major party like the BNP had contributed to political instability, and Tarique Rahman’s return would help fill that vacuum.
Charmonai also noted that Tarique’s long exile highlighted the politics of vengeance and retaliation and called for efforts to permanently uproot such practices from Bangladesh’s political culture following the July uprising.
He expressed hope that Tarique Rahman would contribute to building a healthy political culture, promote constructive political practices, and work towards the permanent elimination of authoritarianism.
