BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to visit Sylhet after nearly 22 years to formally kick off the party’s parliamentary election campaign by addressing a public rally on Thursday.
Tarique last visited the city on 26 December 2004, when he attended a BNP union representatives’ conference while serving as the party’s senior joint secretary general. After spending more than 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom, he returned to Bangladesh via Sylhet on 25 December.
Sylhet BNP leaders said he is scheduled to arrive in the city by air late on Wednesday night to attend the party’s first election rally. On Thursday morning, he will visit the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) and Hazrat Shah Paran (R) before delivering a speech at the public rally at the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa ground.
Following the Sylhet rally, the BNP leader is also scheduled to hold rallies in Moulvibazar and Habiganj. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will accompany him during the first election rally, although party leaders said the full list of travel companions has yet to be finalised.
The Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) said extensive security arrangements have been put in place for the visit.
SMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Mohammad Saiful Islam said a comprehensive security plan has been prepared, covering the airport, rally venue and all routes to be used during the visit.
BNP leaders said preparations to welcome the party chief are complete, with enthusiasm visible across Sylhet ahead of his arrival.
Billboards, banners and festoons featuring Tarique and local BNP leaders have been installed at key intersections, while the route from the airport to the Sylhet Government Alia Madrasa ground has been lined with campaign materials.
In addition to being the BNP chairman, Tarique is also regarded locally as a son-in-law of Sylhet, as his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman hails from the district, a factor that has added to public interest in his visit.
To ensure a large turnout, the Sylhet district and metropolitan BNP units are running extensive mobilisation campaigns at city, upazila and union levels.
BNP leaders said Tarique’s arrival in Sylhet on 22 January will mark a historic moment for the district, with residents eager to catch a glimpse of their “Sylheti son-in-law.”
Preparations at the Alia Madrasa ground are nearing completion, with BNP leaders visiting the venue on Tuesday to inspect the stage and overall arrangements.
The party aims to project the rally as a major show of strength, with leaders saying preparations are under way to ensure the attendance of at least 300,000 people from Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
BNP chairman’s adviser and the party’s nominated candidate for Sylhet-1 Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the rally, though not a divisional event, would nevertheless remain a milestone in Sylhet’s political history.
“This will be the largest rally Sylhet has seen in living memory,” he said, adding that several hundred thousand people are expected to attend.
At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Sylhet district BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said Tarique would arrive in Sylhet on Wednesday night.
“As part of his visit, he will visit the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal and Hazrat Shah Paran and deliver the chief guest’s address at the public rally at the historic Alia Madrasa ground,” he said.
He added that all preparations for the rally have been completed and that the police administration has assured the highest level of security to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of the BNP chairperson.
SMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Mohammad Saiful Islam said layered security perimeters have been established from the airport along all routes to be used during the visit.
“Plainclothes police have already begun operations, and surveillance will cover the rally venue, surrounding areas and all related locations,” he said, adding that drone monitoring will also be used to ensure security.
