The hijacking of Bangladesh's student protests by the opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami was speculated to originate from concerns over BNP leader Tarique Rahman's possible extradition from the UK. The Awami League government had held preliminary discussions with the UK to bring Rahman back to Bangladesh to face charges of corruption and terrorism during BNP's rule from 2001-2006. Rahman, who has been in self-exile since 2008, was reportedly involved in orchestrating plans to target political opponents and support insurgent activities. The looming threat of a severe sentence if extradited created panic, potentially driving efforts to destabilize Sheikh Hasina's government.
