BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman is set to return to Bangladesh on Thursday after more than 17 years abroad, as authorities enforce maximum security measures and the party prepares what it describes as a historic reception in Dhaka.
Tarique Rahman will leave London on Wednesday evening, local UK time, and is scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:45am on Thursday. If all goes as planned, he will step onto Bangladeshi soil shortly before noon. He will be accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and daughter Zaima Rahman.
The government has announced the highest level of security for his return. Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said all preparations were complete to ensure public safety in the capital on the day. He said law enforcement agencies had received clear instructions to remain fully alert and coordinated throughout the day.
Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Md Baharul Alam confirmed comprehensive security arrangements. Uniformed police and Detective Branch personnel in plain clothes will remain deployed, while the BNP has also completed preparations for providing its own private security, he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (DB) Md Shafiqul Islam said a sufficient number of intelligence personnel would stay on duty throughout the day to monitor the situation. Police sources said Tarique Rahman will move under special security arrangements after landing, with police escorts during his movements. Additional measures will remain in place at his residence and office, alongside plain-clothes intelligence officers assigned to his protection.
The DMP said a large contingent of police personnel will be deployed along the route from the airport, while members of the SWAT unit will also remain on the ground. Authorities will maintain the highest level of security across the capital throughout the day.
The BNP has announced extensive arrangements to welcome its top leader. The party plans to take Tarique Rahman directly from the airport to the 300 Feet area of Purbachal, where a large reception programme has been organised. BNP leaders say the event could draw more than five million people, including party activists and members of the public.
According to party sources, extensive preparations are under way to ensure the programme remains disciplined and orderly. The Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s Office has granted formal permission for the event. Construction of the stage is nearing completion, and senior BNP leaders have been visiting the venue regularly to oversee preparations.
Standing committee member Mirza Abbas said the party expects a turnout unprecedented in scale, with millions lining both sides of the road from the airport. Senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Tarique Rahman’s return would mark the end of more than 17 years of exile, adding that enthusiasm among supporters had surpassed all previous occasions.
To oversee security from the airport to his residence in Gulshan, the BNP has appointed retired Brigadier General Dr AKM Shamsul Islam as chief security officer. Under his leadership, the Chairperson Security Force and multiple security teams will operate in coordination to provide layered protection throughout the journey.
After the reception in Purbachal, Tarique Rahman is expected to visit Evercare Hospital, where his mother and former prime minister Khaleda Zia is undergoing treatment. He is scheduled to stay at his Gulshan residence that night. On Friday, he is expected to pay tribute at the grave of his father, BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman.
Tarique Rahman, the elder son of Khaleda Zia, left Bangladesh for London in September 2008 for medical treatment after his release on bail during the ‘One-Eleven’ emergency period. He has remained in the United Kingdom since then, although his wife returned to Bangladesh on several occasions.
BNP leaders say his return carries major political significance ahead of the next parliamentary elections. The party claims the current wave of enthusiasm reflects a broader public mood following recent political developments in the country.
Law enforcement agencies and party leaders have both urged supporters to maintain discipline and avoid any activity that could disrupt public order on the day of his arrival.
