BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is bang on target !!
In a departure from the pomp of the past, Rahman sat on a simple, unadorned wooden chair at the reception venue. It was a calculated visual metaphor: a rejection of the "throne" mentality that has long plagued the country's leadership.
Dhaka's leading newspaper 'The Daily Star' says ---
"His return may help restore a measure of equilibrium to a fractured political landscape, but the road home was shaped by a new reality.
Following Hasina's ouster last year, Rahman was relieved of politically motivated convictions in a litany of cases."
Of course upon landing, he thanked Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus by phone from the airport lounge for the security provided to him and his family.
This was a smart and politically correct gesture.
When he finally addressed the crowd, the most resonant passage of his speech came when he promised to build a "safe Bangladesh"—the basic concept of security that has felt elusive recently.
He painted a picture of a nation free from the violence that has stalked its streets. He envisioned a nation where "every woman, man, and child can leave home and return safely."
Rahman called for unity rather than vengeance.
His tone was inclusive and forward-looking as he sketched a vision of the country's recovery. Playing on the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr., he declared, "I have a plan. I have a plan for the people of my country."
It was a deliberate rhetorical pivot—from grievance to governance. He also recalled the martyrdom of Sharif Osman Hadi in his struggle to restore democratic rights.
The exile is over.
Rahman's physical presence now serves as a counterweight to the swelling influence of rival political actors.
The challenges ahead are immense, but as his bulletproof bus wound its way through cheering crowds in Dhaka, the prevailing mood was one of palpable relief. He is rightly credited with preserving party unity through the lean years of opposition.
His second act—now waiting to play out on home soil ahead of a February election—will depend on whether he can charm a new generation and convince a nation emerging from trauma that he represents a fresh start, rather than a return to business as usual.
The story of his return is not just about one man's comeback.
It is also about whether the country can move beyond its entrenched cycle of dynastic politics, partisan revenge, corruption, and other markers of a nation and a society on boil.
While talking to the BBC, before his arrival at Dhaka -- Rahman's tone was measured and at times humble.
"I am physically here [in the UK], but mentally I have always remained in Bangladesh," he said.
It was a statement not just of longing; it was a reminder to his supporters that absence had not equated to detachment. His insistence in both interviews—that he would "soon return" to contest elections, and that BNP would win "a sweeping majority"—reflected both confidence and calculation.
For a man long portrayed as divisive, he sought to project reason, inclusivity, and stability.
No comments:
Post a Comment