After 17 years in exile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chief Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka on Thursday, marking a major development in Bangladesh’s political landscape ahead of the February elections. Son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, the 60-year-old leader is widely seen as a frontrunner for the prime minister’s post. His return follows his acquittal in corruption and assassination-related cases after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government during last year’s student-led July Uprising.