Exiled Opposition Leader Returns, Vows New Plan for Bangladesh

Hundreds of thousands of supporters flooded the streets of Dhaka on Friday to welcome Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Rahman returned after 17 years in exile. He is widely seen as the prime minister-in-waiting should the BNP win the next election. In his first public remarks, Rahman called for unity among the country's religious and ethnic communities. He also promised to soon present a new plan for Bangladesh's future. The BNP is the main opposition to the current government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Rahman left Bangladesh in 2008 following legal troubles. He was convicted in absentia on multiple charges, which he and his party say were politically motivated.