New Delhi, Feb. 14 -- Tarique Rahman spent 17 years in self-imposed exile. Now, he is poised to become the prime minister of Bangladesh - and follow in the footsteps of his mother.

Thursday's national election seemed to hand Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party a majority, according to local media reports, marking a significant political shift in the South Asian nation of more than 170 million people. The BNP has also claimed victory.

For Rahman, the turnaround is dramatic.

The 60-year-old returned from London in December to a country in turmoil. Within days, his mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, died from long illness. In the election, he faced a rising religious conservative party that had gained momentum after a 2024 stude...