BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman is set to return to Bangladesh on 25 December, with the party initiating extensive preparations for his security and a grand welcome. However, he has not yet applied for a travel pass at the Bangladesh High Commission in London.
Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and president Ziaur Rahman, will be granted enhanced security by the Special Security Force (SSF) if he stays with his mother at her residence.
However, if he chooses to stay elsewhere, BNP will request additional security from the government, as confirmed by the party’s security advisor Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar.
Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has assured the government will provide the highest level of security for Tarique upon his return.
Having been abroad for the past 17 years, Tarique has decided to return following the announcement of the national election schedule. After a meeting of the BNP’s Standing Committee on Friday night, BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed to the media that Tarique would return on 25 December.
Since then, multiple meetings have been held within the party to finalise arrangements for his arrival, including plans for a welcoming reception from the airport to his residence in Gulshan.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, Mirza Fakhrul said, “Tarique Rahman has led the party from abroad for 17 years. Upon his return, he will take direct control of the party. On the day of his arrival, party leaders and workers from across the country will gather in Dhaka, and he will be welcomed along the entire route from the airport to Gulshan.”
In preparation for his return, a bulletproof SUV, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado LC 250 model, has been imported for Tarique’s use.
The vehicle, registered in the name of BNP, will be used to ensure Tarique’s safety. Upon arrival, he will stay at his residence at 196 Gulshan Avenue. The property, built on 1.5 bighas of land, has been renovated and equipped with modern amenities.
The BNP Chairperson’s Security Force (CSF) is currently overseeing the maintenance of the residence, and the number of CSF members has recently been increased. Currently, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital, where she is receiving SSF security.
Fazle Elahi Akbar told TIMES, “Khaleda Zia has been provided with SSF security as a VVIP. We are requesting the government to ensure Tarique Rahman’s security as well.”
Tarique was arrested by the joint forces during the state of emergency in March 2007. After being released on bail in September 2008, he moved to London for medical treatment and later sought political asylum.
Following the imprisonment of his mother Khaleda Zia in 2018, Tarique assumed the role of acting chairman of BNP. He has been leading the party from London for the past 17 years. After the fall of the Awami League government in 2024, Tarique was acquitted of all charges against him.
