Dhaka – Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, ending 17 years of exile in London.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Zarnaz Rahman, and other members of his entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:40 AM.
A large reception awaited him at a site on the 300-foot road in the Purbachal town project on the outskirts of Dhaka, where a significant number of BNP leaders and activists had gathered. Party workers and supporters from across the country traveled to welcome their acting top leader.
Mr. Rahman, now 60, had left Dhaka for London in 2008 during a military-backed government that took power amid political turmoil. He faced multiple criminal convictions in absentia in Bangladesh, including money laundering and charges linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Hasina during his exile.
Courts acquitted him after last year’s mass upsurge ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, removing the legal obstacles that had delayed his return home.
Top BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were present at the airport. Police, army, and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel were deployed in multiple layers to ensure security.
Earlier, the flight made a stop at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet at 9:56 am. Rahman had departed from London’s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday night, Bangladesh time.
In a Facebook post ahead of his arrival, Rahman shared a photo with the caption: “After a long 6,314 days, in the sky of Bangladesh!”
Despite relatively empty roads in the capital due to a three-day holiday weekend for Christmas, BNP supporters converged on the reception area. The road from Banani to the airport was kept clear, while the opposite route towards Banani experienced traffic congestion.
Police and army personnel maintained alert positions at street corners and overpasses. From the Kuril area, leaders and activists proceeded on foot towards the main stage on the 300-foot road, where LED screens displayed documentaries and announcements provided updates on Rahman’s flight status.
