Dhaka, Dec. 26 -- Tarique Rahman's return to Bangladesh after nearly fifteen years in exile should be viewed not as a personal triumph or a party success, but as an important chapter in the country's ongoing democratic journey, said Hasnat Abdullah, chief coordinator (Southern) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), on Thursday.

In an evening post on his verified Facebook page, Hasnat said Tarique's return underscores a fundamental truth: the right of a Bangladeshi citizen and political leader to come back to his homeland cannot be indefinitely curtailed through state repression."Regardless of how dominant an authoritarian system may seem, it can never permanently extinguish the political will of the people," he wrote.

Recalling the prolo...