Bangladesh’s political waters are churning with Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years of exile, but Sheikh Hasina sees no silver lining. The former PM, in a candid IANS exchange from New Delhi, branded it a non-starter for reform and a booster for toxic polarization.
‘Years away in luxury don’t equate to change; they echo a costly old playbook,’ Hasina charged. She accused Rahman of shirking responsibility for alleged corruption and undue influence during his mother Khaleda Zia’s leadership, living far removed from citizens’ hardships.
Known as the son of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda, and sometimes ‘Dark Prince,’ Tarique enters a cauldron of unrest: peak violence, lawlessness among hardliners, BNP’s election skip. His self-styled sovereignty defense reignites India ties debates, strained historically.
Hasina highlighted chilling BNP intimidation campaigns targeting League backers and everyday folk to force allegiance. Despite survey leads for PM, she warned of deepened rifts. ‘True leaders embody accountability and engagement, not foreign puppeteering and sudden reappearances,’ she said.
The nation’s path forward rejects ‘corruption-laced, violence-prone, radical-allied legacies,’ per Hasina. As Delhi and beyond eye Bangladesh’s polls, her critique frames Rahman’s move as a setback, potentially entrenching hostilities over mending them in democracy’s crucible.