Tarique Rahman's return a backdoor deal to facilitate one-sided election: Awami League student leader

By Vishu Adhana
New Delhi [India], December 25 (ANI): Hours after the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman to the country, the student wing of Awami League alleged that his homecoming is part of a "backdoor deal" aimed at facilitating a one-sided election amid rising political instability in the country.
Saddam Hussain, President of the Bangladesh Students' League, said the return of the BNP leader would not help stabilise the situation in Bangladesh but would instead deepen political polarisation and strengthen what he termed "fascist politics".
"The return of the BNP's acting chairman will not solve Bangladesh's problems. Ultimately, it will facilitate a one-sided election and ensure the continuation of fascist politics. He is a convicted criminal in multiple cases linked to the 2004 attack and bypassed judicial processes. This is clearly a backdoor deal between the illegal government and the BNP-Jamaat alliance, which will once again push democracy out of the syllabus," Hussain told ANI.
He further alleged that Tarique Rahman's past tenure had coincided with a deterioration in law and order, a rise in extremism, and persecution of minorities.
"When he was earlier in the country, extremism rose with government support, stability deteriorated, minorities were persecuted and Bangladesh earned a reputation for corruption. These questions are now being raised again by the people of Bangladesh," he added.
Tarique Rahman, the son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after 17 years in exile. He is the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
According to Bangladeshi media reports, the Bangladesh Biman flight carrying Rahman landed at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet at 9:56 am.
Large numbers of BNP leaders and supporters gathered at reception venues to welcome him, with the party describing his return as a significant moment expected to open a "new chapter" in BNP politics.
Rahman's return comes at a sensitive time for Bangladesh, which is witnessing heightened political tension following the killing of student leader Osman Hadi and days of violent protests across parts of the country.
The unrest has raised serious concerns over law and order, minority safety and the overall political environment ahead of the general elections scheduled for February 17.
The Yunus government has barred Sheikh Hasina's Awami League from contesting the general election.
Rahman has lived in London since 2008, facing multiple criminal convictions in Bangladesh, including corruption and money laundering cases and a case related to an alleged plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He was later acquitted after Hasina's removal from power, clearing legal hurdles that had delayed his return.
The Awami League student body has alleged that recent developments, including Rahman's return, indicate attempts to sideline sections of the political opposition and push Bangladesh towards an election lacking credibility and inclusivity.
Commenting on the ban on the Awami League, the student leader alleged that the decision was taken by an "illegal dispensation" and had effectively silenced public voices ahead of the polls. "By banning the Awami League before the election, the voice of the people has been silenced," he said.
He further questioned the credibility of the upcoming elections, asserting that essential democratic conditions were missing.
"For an election to be free and fair, the government must be legal, constitutional and neutral in character, and these basic requirements are currently absent," he added.
Hussian also alleged that the political process was being manipulated to ensure a predetermined outcome.
"What is being planned is not an election but a selection," he said, alleging that power was being redistributed among those already in control.
Warning of continued instability, he claimed the prevailing arrangement would not bring any meaningful change.
"This kind of arrangement will neither restore stability nor resolve Bangladesh's political crisis," he said, adding that "nothing will truly change unless the process becomes inclusive and democratic." (ANI)