Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - which suffered 16 years of persecution during the regime of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina - is expected to win the next general elections scheduled in February 2025. BNP's renewed power ambition got an impetus when the caretaker government of Dr Mohammad Yunus banned Awami League from conducting political activities and Tarique Zia, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, announced his return to Bangladesh after 17 years of self-exile in London to participate in the upcoming general elections.

Talking to BBC Bangla recently, Zia, who is the acting chairman of BNP, said: "The time has come, God willing, I will return soon. Maybe due to some personal reasons, the return has not happened yet. But I think the time has come. This is an election for which people had been waiting, I cannot keep myself away during this time." The poor health of his mother, Khaleda Zia, and his acquittal in corruption cases by courts provide an opportunity to Zia return to his country, reorganise BNP and contest the upcoming elections.

It will be interesting to see how BNP will face Jamaat-e-Islami and the youth-based National Citizens Party (NCP) in the elections. Zia is hopeful that his party will return victorious. NCP and Jamaat, which both spearheaded the popular movement against Sheikh Hasina that brought about her fall, are also hopeful of coming to power insisting that people want change. Awami League and BNP remained in power from 1991 till last year, but failed to meet the aspirations of the people. BNP which ruled in 1991-96 and 2001-07 was blamed for........

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