'It's a backdoor deal for one-sided elections': Awami League student wing on Tarique Rahman's return

Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Dhaka on Thursday after 17 years in self-imposed exile, ahead of the country's parliamentary elections on February 12.

Rahman, the 60-year-old son of ailing former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has emerged as a key contender for the prime minister's position in the upcoming elections.

Saddam Hussain, President of the Bangladesh Students League (the student wing of the now-banned Awami League), has criticised Rahman's return to Bangladesh. He described the return as part of a "backdoor deal" between the BNP and the interim government, warning that Rahman's homecoming would not solve Bangladesh's political crisis but instead facilitate "one-sided elections".

"Bangladesh is in a constitutional and security crisis right now. What is needed most in Bangladesh is to establish a neutral government and hold a free, fair, and inclusive election. There is also rising extremism. So, the return of the BNP acting chairman will not solve the problem of Bangladesh," Hussain said while speaking to news agency ANI.

"It will facilitate the one-sided elections. He is a convicted criminal in the 2004 grenade attack case. It is actually a backdoor deal between the illegal government and the BNP-Jamaat Alliance to facilitate the one-sided elections; the question of democracy will be out of the syllabus again. When he was in the country, extremism was rising, with the support of the government actually. Stability deteriorated, and minorities were persecuted," Hussain added.

Rahman's homecoming comes amid rising political instability in Bangladesh. The country is still reeling from the killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in last year's protests that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government. As violence spreads, the BNP has positioned itself as the likely party to gain power in the upcoming elections, especially after the Awami League was barred from contesting under the Anti-Terrorism Act by the interim government, headed by Yunus.

While Rahman was warmly received at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, tensions simmered beneath the surface. Upon arrival, Rahman was escorted in a bulletproof bus, a precautionary measure that underscored the security concerns surrounding his return.

In a statement of thanks, Rahman expressed his gratitude to the interim government, especially Muhammad Yunus, for arranging his security and the events surrounding his return. "I thank you on behalf of myself and my family. Specially, my sincere gratitude for the measures taken for my security,” Rahman said in a phone conversation shared in a video by the BNP.

Rahman's return also comes at a time when Bangladesh-India relations have soured. India has expressed concerns about the state of affairs in Bangladesh, including the recent attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus, in the country. The Indian government also called for a detailed investigation into the death of Hadi, a move that has further strained relations between the two countries.

As BNP gears up for the upcoming elections, Rahman's return will undoubtedly make the elections BNP vs Jamaat.