'I have a plan': After 17-year exile, Tarique Rahman invokes Martin Luther King Junior in his Dhaka address

Rahman, who is now emerging as front-runner for Prime Minister's post in the upcoming polls, also hailed the July Uprising of 2024.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) acting chairperson Tarique Rahman -- who is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia -- returned to Dhaka after 17 years of exile to a rousing welcome.

Standing at the podium, Rahman addressed his admirers who had turned up in large numbers, where he invoked the words of late American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior, saying, "I have a plan".

"American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, in a public speech, said, 'I have a dream.' Like him, I want to say, I have a plan for Bangladesh" he said.

Amidst thunderous applause, Rahman, who is now emerging as front-runner for Prime Minister's post in the upcoming polls hailed the July Uprising of 2024.

He said, just like Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971, people from all walks of life once again came together to protect Bangladesh's independence and sovereignty in 2024.

Bangladesh's English daily, The Daily Star reported the 60-year-old leader saying, "Agents of various dominant powers are still engaged in conspiracies. We must remain patient. We have to exercise caution."

He went on to say, "The time has come for all of us to build the country together. This country belongs to people of the hills and the plains, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh, where every woman, man, and child can leave home and return safely."

Rahman also talked about the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi— a prominent leader of the July uprising 2024— and said, "If we are to repay the debt of the blood of those who were martyred in 1971 and 2024, we must build the Bangladesh we all dream of."

He stressed that it is of the utmost importance for Bangladesh to preserve the country's democracy and have a strong economic foundation.