The day when BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman returns home to lead the party in person is not far off, said Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, a Standing Committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and personal physician to Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at Khaleda Zia’s residence Firoza in Gulshan, following her return from London after four months of medical treatment.
The former prime minister arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday morning, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law — Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of Tarique Rahman, and Syeda Sharmila Rahman, widow of the late Arafat Rahman Koko.
Their vehicle left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 11:15am and reached her Gulshan residence by 1:25pm amid tight security.
Supporters gathered to welcome Khaleda home, cheering loudly as she marked her return by walking — with assistance — from her car to her residence.
The 78-year-old former prime minister has long suffered from multiple health complications, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, and post-Covid issues affecting her kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes.
Dr Zahid highlighted that Dr Zubaida’s return to Bangladesh after 17 years marked a significant moment for the BNP.
He added that her recent reappearance, combined with Zaima Rahman’s participation in a political event in the United States, indicates a renewed public presence of the Rahman family.