From Exile To Victory: BNP’s Tarique Rahman Joins Special League

Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 09:44 IST

Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh after over 17 years of remaining in exile in London, is set to be at the centre of power after winning elections.

Bangladesh is witnessing one of the most dramatic returns from exile. Tarique Rahman, who returned to the country after over 17 years of remaining in exile in London, is set to be at the centre of power in the country. His party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has registered a thumping victory in the Bangladesh national elections 2026. Rahman, the chairman of the party, has also won the seats he contested this election.

Why Did Tarique Rahman Go Into Exile?

Tarique Rahman left Bangladesh in 2008. At that time, the country was under a military-backed caretaker government.

He faced multiple corruption and criminal cases. Several charges were later pursued aggressively during the rule of Sheikh Hasina.

In 2018, he was sentenced in the controversial August 21 grenade attack case — a verdict BNP described as politically motivated. From London, where he had been living for medical treatment and political refuge, Tarique continued to steer BNP affairs, often addressing rallies virtually.

For nearly 17 years, he remained outside Bangladesh.

After years of political pressure and shifting domestic equations, Tarique returned to Bangladesh in November 2025, shortly before the latest general election was announced.

His homecoming was framed by BNP as “a restoration of democratic politics". His supporters calledit “a return of stolen leadership" and the beginning of a post-Hasina era.

Mass rallies were organised to mark his arrival, turning his return into a political spectacle.

The Death of Khaleda Zia – And the Sympathy Wave

Just weeks before the polls, Rahman lost his mother, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Zia, a three-time Prime Minister and one of Bangladesh’s most dominant political figures, had herself been battling illness and legal troubles for years. Her passing became a defining emotional moment of the election.

BNP supporters rallied around Tarique Rahman as the sole political heir. The narrative shifted from just regime change to legacy preservation. Public messaging cast him as a son returning home amid personal grief and national struggle. Sympathy among undecided voters reportedly deepened, especially in BNP strongholds.

For many voters, the election became as much about Khaleda Zia’s political legacy as about current governance.

Tarique Rahman returned and is now set to take power in Bangladesh, joining several other political leaders across the globe, who won elections in their countries after their return from exile.

Leaders Who Won Election After Returning From Exile

Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan)

After years in exile under General Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan in 1986 to massive public rallies that signalled her enduring popularity. Following Zia’s death, her party — the Pakistan Peoples Party — won the 1988 general elections, making her the Prime Minister. Her return symbolised a restoration of civilian politics after prolonged authoritarian rule.

Nawaz Sharif (Pakistan)

Deposed in the 1999 coup led by Pervez Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif spent nearly a decade in exile in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Pakistan in 2007 as the military ruler’s grip weakened and gradually rebuilt his political base. In 2013, his party secured a parliamentary majority, allowing him to become Prime Minister for a third time — a rare feat in Pakistan’s turbulent political history.

Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh)

Forced into exile after the 1975 assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh in 1981 to lead the Awami League. After years of opposition politics and street mobilisation, she guided her party to victory in the 1996 elections, marking the return of her family’s political legacy to power.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Haiti)

Ousted in a 1991 military coup just months after becoming president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide fled Haiti and spent years abroad. He returned in 1994 with international support and later contested and won the 2000 presidential election. His comeback reflected both his grassroots appeal and Haiti’s deeply polarised political environment.

Joshua Nkomo (Zimbabwe)

Joshua Nkomo spent years in exile during the struggle against white-minority rule in Rhodesia. Upon returning ahead of Zimbabwe’s independence elections in 1980, he participated in the political transition and later became a central figure in the new government. His return marked the shift from liberation struggle to formal state leadership.

Thaksin Shinawatra (Thailand)

After being removed in a 2006 military coup, Thaksin Shinawatra lived in self-imposed exile but remained an influential force in Thai politics. Though he did not personally return to win an immediate election, parties aligned with him repeatedly secured electoral victories, demonstrating how exile did not diminish his political reach or voter loyalty.

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