BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday, ending more than 17 years of exile in the United Kingdom, a development that drew huge crowds of supporters and significant attention from major international media outlets.

From Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the 300-Foot Road area in the capital, hundreds of thousands of Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporters gathered along the route, waving party flags and chanting slogans as they welcomed their leader back to the country.

Tarique Rahman’s return featured prominently in global news coverage, with outlets such as the BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera and The Telegraph portraying him as a leading contender for Bangladesh’s next prime minister ahead of the forthcoming general election.

The BBC described his homecoming as the return of a prime ministerial frontrunner after 17 years in exile, noting that the 60-year-old opposition leader is widely seen as the most likely candidate to lead the country following what it called a landmark election. The broadcaster highlighted his position within the influential Zia political family and identified him as the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, adding that the BNP is aiming to regain power in the upcoming polls.

Al Jazeera also gave prominent coverage to the event, portraying Tarique Rahman as the head of Bangladesh’s powerful opposition and a political heir to a long-established ruling family. The network drew attention to the symbolic moment when he stepped onto Bangladeshi soil and picked up a handful of earth upon arrival. It further reported that he is broadly viewed as the prime ministerial front-runner for the February election, linking his return to renewed momentum for the BNP following the 2024 removal of longtime leader Sheikh Hasina.

The Telegraph, citing the Associated Press, reported that the son of a former prime minister had returned from years abroad with a pledge to work toward a secure and stable Bangladesh. The report said his reappearance on the political stage has positioned him as a leading candidate to head the country’s next government.