A frontrunner that looks poised to be the next prime minister of Bangladesh returned home Thursday to cheering crowds after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile.

Tarique Rahman, his wife and daughter landed in the capital, Dhaka, amid tight security.

Thousands of supporters lined the streets between the airport and a reception venue to greet him.

Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), posted on Facebook: "Finally here in Sylhet, on the soil of Bangladesh!"

His return comes after a student-led uprising last year ousted Sheikh Hasina, leaving Bangladesh under the control of an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024.

The country's national election is scheduled for February 12, 2026.

Who is Tarique Rahman?

Rahman, 60, is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman, the founder of BNP.

Ziaur Rahman was assassinated in a military coup in 1981. Khaleda Zia entered politics after her husband's death and first held power in 1991.

Rahman has served as the party's acting chairman since his mother's imprisonment in 2018. 

Tarique Rahman returns home from London

Rahman moved to London in 2008 for medical treatment and remained there while facing multiple criminal cases at home.

He was convicted in absentia on charges that included a case linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Sheikh Hasina. Those rulings were overturned after Hasina was removed from power last year, clearing the legal barriers to his return.

Rahman's homecoming also carries personal urgency, as his mother has been critically ill for months. He was scheduled to meet her later.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse