BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, 25th December, after spending 17 years in exile in London. Although he returned to his country to see his mother, who is seriously ill, the arrival ahead of the upcoming national elections is crucial.
Tarique arrived in Dhaka with his wife, Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Two close aides accompanied him from London, Abdur Rahman Suny and Kamal Uddin. Tarique’s pet cat Zeebu also came with him. The aircraft landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:41 am after a stopover at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet at about 9:58 am.
After landing, Tarique was received at the airport by senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He called Chief Advisor Md Yunus from the airport and thanked him for the security arrangements.
From the airport, he travelled in one of two bulletproof buses specially imported for him to a large public reception at the 300 Feet area in Purbachal. The venue was chosen instead of Suhrawardy Udyan and Manik Mia Avenue to reduce disruption for Dhaka residents. Party leaders and supporters lined both sides of the road to welcome him.
Tarique addressed the gathering after reaching the venue, and BNP standing committee members, leaders of parties that joined the simultaneous movement, and other prominent figures were present on the stage. However, his wife and daughter went to their residence from the airport.
After his speech, he is scheduled to go to Evercare Hospital to visit his mother, who has been receiving treatment there for over a month. He will also travel to Firoza, the Zia family residence in Gulshan 2.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police placed multi-layered security arrangements to ensure safety throughout the day. The BNP said it expected around 50 lakh people to gather in Dhaka. Overall responsibility for Tarique’s security from the airport to Gulshan has been given to AKM Shamsul Islam. Party-based security, including the Chairperson’s Security Force, was deployed at full capacity.
Supporters began arriving at the Purbachal venue from Wednesday, 24th December night onwards. Around 1,000 loudspeakers are installed across areas such as the airport zone, Purbachal, Kanchan Bridge, Abdullahpur, Banani, Mohakhali and nearby locations to broadcast his speech. Hundreds of posters and billboards are placed along roads between the airport and Gulshan, and 30 large LED screens have been set up across the capital for live viewing.
The party has also arranged extensive public facilities. About 20 medical camps with doctors, paramedics, medicines and ambulances set up across Dhaka. A temporary six-bed field hospital has been established at the 300 Feet area, along with an ICU-equipped ambulance. Mobile toilets and drinking water are provided, and several thousand volunteers are engaged to manage services.
Separate bus parking areas are arranged at entry points to the city to reduce traffic, while help desks have been set up at Kakoli Mor, in front of the airport and at Abdullahpur to assist ambulances and international passengers.
Exile and return
Tarique was arrested during the 1/11 government on 7th March, 2007. He was granted bail on 3rd September 2008, and left for London with his family on 11th September that year for medical treatment.
He has lived in London since then. During the previous Awami League government, he was convicted in absentia in several cases and faced many lawsuits. After the fall of that government, all charges against him were dropped, and there are currently no cases pending.
