New Delhi, Dec. 25 -- Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) returned home from London on Thursday ahead of next year's parliamentary polls, ending a 17-year-long exile.

With ousted PM Sheikh Hasina's party-the Awami League-barred from contesting the elections, the BNP is currently seen as the forerunner to win next year's polls As the BNP's top leader, Tarique is in line to become the prime minister, if all goes as expected.

Born in 1965 to former Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, the country's first female prime minister, Tarique got involved with politics from an early age.

Tarique's father was assassinated on 30 May, 1981 when he was in office, following which his mother join...