Exiled for 17 Years, Bangladesh Opposition Leader Returns to Run for PM

Tarique Rahman, a top candidate for prime minister of Bangladesh, has returned home after 17 years in exile. He arrived on Saturday to lead his party's campaign for the upcoming national election. Rahman is the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He has been living in London since 2008. A Bangladesh court convicted him in absentia on corruption and money laundering charges, which he and his supporters say were politically motivated. From Britain, he remotely managed the BNP's strategy. His return is a major political event. It sets the stage for a direct confrontation with the current ruling party, the Awami League. The general election is scheduled for January 2025. Rahman's party and others have demanded that the vote be administered by a neutral, caretaker government. They argue this is necessary for a fair election.