Exiled Leader's Return: Bangladesh's Election Season Upended

Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of Bangladesh's main opposition party, has returned home after 17 years in exile. He landed in the capital, Dhaka, on Thursday. Rahman is widely seen as the front-runner to become the country's next prime minister. His return comes just weeks before pivotal national elections are scheduled. He fled to London in 2008. At that time, he faced multiple criminal charges, which he and his supporters say were politically motivated. His party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has boycotted the last two national votes. They cited concerns over election fairness under the current government. Rahman's homecoming is expected to galvanize the opposition. It dramatically reshapes the political landscape just as the election campaign begins.