Tarique Rahman Returns to Bangladesh After 17 Years in Exile

After nearly 17 years in exile, Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has returned to Bangladesh, accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and their only daughter Zaima Zarnaz Rahman.

According to BNP leaders, Tarique Rahman’s Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:55am. From the airport, he will proceed to a temporary stage on 300 Feet Road in Dhaka, where he is expected to address the nation and party supporters.

He will later visit Evercare Hospital in Bashundhara to see his ailing mother, former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, before returning to his residence in Gulshan.

At a press conference on Wednesday, BNP Standing Committee member Salauddin Ahmed said the party has taken extensive preparations for Tarique Rahman’s return, emphasizing that he does not support any program that would cause public inconvenience.

According to the schedule, on Friday, Tarique Rahman will visit the grave of martyred former president Ziaur Rahman after Jummah prayers and later pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar. On Saturday, he will complete national identity card formalities at the Election Commission, visit the grave of Shaheed Osman Hadi, and meet those injured during the July uprising at the National Orthopaedic Hospital and Rehabilitation Institute.

The BNP has organized the main reception on 300 Feet Road in Kuril, Dhaka, where a large pavilion has been erected. Party leaders expect an unprecedented turnout, estimating up to five million people. Senior Joint Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said party activists have already begun arriving in Dhaka from across the country.

Security arrangements are being overseen by AKM Shamsul Islam. The party has formally requested protection from the Special Security Force (SSF), while the reorganized Chairperson Security Force (CSF) will handle internal security, supported by around 10,000 trained volunteers for crowd control and traffic management.

To facilitate travel, the Ministry of Railways has arranged special train services on 10 routes, with additional coaches added to regular services. Some short-distance commuter routes will remain suspended on December 25, and the ministry has apologized for the temporary inconvenience.

BNP leaders say the return of Tarique Rahman is expected to be a defining political moment and a major demonstration of the party’s organizational strength ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.