BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has kept a packed schedule since his return two weeks ago, with political leaders, diplomats, and business and industrial figures meeting him daily.
Potential and nominated candidates from BNP and its allies are also making courtesy calls on him regularly ahead of the 12 February parliamentary election.
The discussions have mainly covered the forthcoming election, post-election state rebuilding, and ways to recover from the country’s fragile economic situation.
On Saturday, the BNP leader is also scheduled to exchange greetings with editors and senior journalists at a hotel in Banani.
Ahead of the formal start of campaigning, Tarique will travel to the northern region on a four-day tour from 11 to 14 January, which has been described as entirely personal, religious, social, and humanitarian in nature.
He will visit 12 districts—Gazipur, Tangail, Sirajganj, Bogura, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram. This will be his first trip outside Dhaka since returning to the country from London on 25 December after 17 years.
Tarique will also travel to Cox’s Bazar on the morning of 18 January and later attend a prayer gathering in Chattogram. He will formally begin his election campaign on 22 January by visiting the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) and Hazrat Shah Paran (R) in Sylhet.
His decision to travel outside Dhaka ahead of the election campaign has drawn criticism from opposition quarters, with questions raised over whether the tour could violate the election code of conduct.
To avoid any confusion or unwanted situation, ABM Abdus Sattar, personal secretary to the BNP acting chairman, has informed the deputy commissioners and returning officers concerned through formal letters.
The letters said Tarique would visit the graves of July fighters and martyrs of the long democratic movement, participate in prayer gatherings, and attend religious and social programmes seeking forgiveness for the departed soul of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
The letters stressed that the tour is entirely religious and social in nature and that the election code of conduct issued by Election Commission will not be violated. BNP has assured both the administration and EC that it will remain vigilant to prevent any activity that could breach the code.
Party leaders and activists have been specifically instructed not to organise processions, rallies, or showdowns and not to display banners, festoons, arches, or posters along the travel routes. Necessary security arrangements and overall cooperation have also been sought.
Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the purpose of the tour is to visit the graves of martyrs and that there is no scope for violating the election code of conduct. He said that while some may view the tour differently, paying due respect to the martyrs of the 2024 student mass uprising is a national responsibility.
He said the party leader had long wished to make such visits, but various circumstances had delayed the journey. Paying tribute to the July martyrs reflects the expectations of the nation, he added, stressing that the spirit of the mass uprising must be upheld. According to him, the tour involves no elements related to election campaigning.
During the tour, Tarique may also meet and hold discussions with party leaders in various districts. A party leader said he may place particular emphasis on strengthening party discipline and unity in the electoral field during these interactions.
From Sunday, as part of the tour, Tarique will visit the graves of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and those killed during the July movement, including Abu Sayed. He will also hold courtesy meetings with those injured during the July movement.
According to the schedule, on 11 January at 9:00am, Tarique will depart from his Gulshan house for Tangail. He will visit the shrine of Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani at Santosh at 1:00pm and later take a break at Sirajganj on the western bank of the Jamuna. From there, he will proceed to Bogura, where he will attend a prayer gathering at the Altafunnesa School field in the evening seeking forgiveness for the departed soul of Khaleda Zia and stay overnight.
On 12 January, he will travel from Bogura to Pirganj in Rangpur to visit the grave of Abu Sayed, before heading to Dinajpur. There, he will visit the grave of his late grandmother Tayeba Majumder, inquire about relatives, and visit the graves of July movement martyrs. He will then proceed to Thakurgaon for an overnight stay.
On 13 January, he will travel from Thakurgaon to Panchagarh, Nilphamari, and Lalmonirhat, visiting the graves of July movement martyrs in each district, before returning to Rangpur late at night.
On 14 January, he will depart Rangpur for Gabtali in Bogura-6 (Sadar), his constituency, and return to Dhaka via Mahasthangarh, arriving in the capital early the next morning.
