Foisal Ahmed
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to return to Bangladesh soon, though the fix date remains unconfirmed. Despite the lack of a specific timeline, the BNP is actively preparing to welcome his homecoming with a grand and memorable event.
Speaking anonymously, a senior BNP leader stated, “He (Tarique Rahman) will come very soon, perhaps within one or two months. However, we do not yet have a fixed date. It largely depends on the country’s political situation, personal security, and environmental conditions.”
Nonetheless, extensive preparations are underway to ensure a festive welcome for the party’s second-highest leader. The party aims for his return to be marked by a massive public gathering, signaling the BNP’s strong political standing and demonstrating its strength to the nation. Plans include a huge rally in the capital, potentially encompassing the airport, on the day of his arrival.
Some leaders suggest that the decision on Tarique Rahman’s return might also be influenced by the upcoming national election date. He may choose to return after the election schedule is announced.
This aligns with the interim government’s chief advisor, Professor Muhammad Yunus’s announcement that the next national election will be held in the first half of February next year.
The senior leader reiterated this timeline following a bilateral meeting with Tarique Rahman in London. If this schedule holds, the election announcement could come between October and December, as the election schedule must be declared 60 days prior to the poll date.
The BNP continues to pressure the interim government to adhere to the announced election date. Another BNP leader noted that Tarique Rahman’s return and subsequent participation in party programs and public assemblies could intensify this pressure on the government to hold elections on time.
Meanwhile even BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir failed to informed specific date of his return.
On June 10, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while speaking to journalists at the Gulshan office, said, “Tareque Saheb will definitely return home, he will definitely return home.” When pressed for a date, he simply responded, “He will return soon,” without providing specifics.
Tarique Rahman was arrested on March 7, 2007, during the 1/11 emergency government. After being released on bail on September 3, 2008, he traveled to London with his family for medical treatment on September 11, where he later sought political asylum.
He has resided in London for approximately 17 years. On February 8, 2018, following the jailing of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman was entrusted with the responsibility of the party’s acting chairman.
With the ousting of the Awami League government in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, Tarique Rahman has been acquitted in almost all cases. So, he can come home safely.
Lieutenant General (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Home Affairs Advisor to the interim government, has confirmed that there are no longer any government obstacles to his return to the country.