BNP acting chairman TariqueRahman returned home from London today with his wife and daughter, bringing an end to his 17-year exile.
A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying them landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via Sylhet in Dhaka around at 11:41am.
Earlier, the flight made a stopover at Sylhet's Osmani International Airport around 9:58am.
The family's pet cat, Zeebu, is also travelling with them, along with their two close aides, Abdur Rahman Suny and Kamal Uddin.
After landing, he was received by BNP Standing Committee members.
He will travel in one of the two bulletproof vehicles imported for him to a reception in the 300 Feet area of Purbachal, chosen over Suhrawardy Udyan and Manik Mia Avenue to minimise inconvenience for Dhaka residents. Party leaders and activists will line both sides of the road to greet him.
BNP standing committee members, leaders of political parties that joined the simultaneous movement and prominent figures will be present on stage, but only Tarique will address the crowd.
Following his address, Tarique will go to Evercare Hospital to visit his ailing mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who has been undergoing treatment there for over a month now.
After meeting his mother, he will go to Firoza, the Zia family's residence at Gulshan‑2, via Airport Road and Kakoli Mor.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police has taken multi‑layered security measures to prevent any untoward incident.
The party expects around 50 lakh people to gather in Dhaka on the day.
The overall responsibility for Tarique's security from the airport to Gulshan has been given to AKM Shamsul Islam.
Party‑based security arrangements will be used to the fullest extent including the Chairperson's Security Force (CSF), Shamsul said at a briefing yesterday.
Centred on the 300 Feet area, party leaders and activists had already begun streaming into the venue last night.
Around 1,000 speakers are being installed across the airport area, Purbachal, Kanchan Bridge, Abdullahpur, Banani, Mohakhali and surrounding locations to broadcast his speech.
Hundreds of billboards and posters have been set up along roads between the airport and Gulshan. The BNP has also installed 30 large LED screens across the capital for people to watch the live telecast.
Some 20 medical camps complete with doctors, paramedics, medicines and ambulances are being set up across Dhaka. There will be a six‑bed temporary field hospital in the 300 Feet area, with an ambulance with ICU facilities. The party has installed mobile toilets and will be providing drinking water. Several thousand volunteers will be engaged in the whole service.
Separate bus parking has been arranged at the main entrances to the capital to avoid traffic. To facilitate the movement of patient‑carrying ambulances and international passengers, help desks have been set up in Kakoli Mor, and in front of the airport and Abdullahpur.
During the 1/11 government, Tarique was arrested on March 7, 2007. He was granted bail on September 3, 2008, and left for London with his family on September 11 for medical treatment.
Tarique has been living in London with his wife, Zubaida Rahman, and daughter, Zaima Rahman. Zubaida Rahman who returned to London on December 20 after a two-week stay in Dhaka with her ailing mother‑in‑law.
During Awami League's tenure, Tarique was convicted in absentia in five cases and faced around 100 lawsuits. Following the fall of the AL government, all charges against him were dropped. There are currently no pending cases against him.
POLITICAL CAREER
At the age of 22, Tarique became a member of the Gabtali upazila BNP in Bogura district in 1988. He had been involved in politics even before formally joining the organisation.
He took part in the nationwide election campaign alongside his mother during the 1991 election.
In 2002, Tarique was appointed senior joint secretary general of the party.
He lost his brother, Arafat Rahman Koko, while in exile in London. During his time abroad, he was elected senior vice-chairman at the BNP's Fifth National Council in 2009 and re-elected to the position at the Sixth National Council in 2016.
Since the imprisonment of Khaleda in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on February 8, 2018, Tarique has been serving as the acting chairman of the BNP.