Reza Mahmud :
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to return to the country today, ending his 17-year exile in the United Kingdom.
He is expected to leave London’s Heathrow Airport at 6:15pm (local time) on Wednesday aboard a scheduled Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight bound for Dhaka.
Tarique Rahman will be accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter, Zaima Rahman.
According to the itinerary, the flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:50am today, subject to normal operational conditions.
Prior to its arrival in Dhaka, the aircraft will make a one-hour stopover at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.
Dhaka woke up under heightened alert today, as elaborate security arrangements and political anticipation marked the long-awaited return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman after nearly 17 years in exile. From the early hours of the morning, barricades were placed at major intersections, police and RAB patrols were deployed, and intelligence agencies monitored developments from control rooms across the capital.
The government activated one of its most extensive security plans in recent years, describing the day as a “sensitive moment for national stability.” Traffic diversions were announced, emergency medical teams placed on standby, and aerial surveillance quietly reinforced ground-level operations as authorities sought to ensure order and prevent any untoward incident.
Parallel to the state’s security preparations, the BNP organised a massive reception programme to welcome its top leader. Final preparations were underway at the 300 Feet Road area in Purbachal, where a large stage measuring 48 feet by 36 feet has been constructed with bamboo and wood on the northern side of the road, facing south, a short distance from the Kuril intersection. While the main structure of the stage has been completed, decorative work continued late into the night.
Banners and festoons welcoming Tarique Rahman were displayed along both sides of the road from Kuril to beyond the reception venue. Loudspeakers were installed on roadside lampposts, and separate tents were set up on both sides of the stage for law enforcement agencies.
BNP leaders expected that Tarique Rahman’s return will change the total political landscape of the country. As the nearly past two decades, the country were vacant of prominent leadership while the fascist Hasina government kept former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in jail.
When contacted, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal on Wednesday told The New Nation, “Tarique Rahman gathered huge experiences while living exile in the United Kingdom, which is the land of classic democracy.”
Tarique Rahman’s return must change the total political landscape of the country as he is bringing the real manner of democracy with him.
BNP leaders and activists from different districts began arriving in Dhaka days ahead of the programme. Party supporters arranged buses, trucks, microbuses and private vehicles on their own initiative. By Wednesday night, thousands were already seen gathering near the reception stage, chanting slogans such as “Mother and soil are calling, Tarique Rahman is coming” and “Tarique Rahman will return in heroic fashion.”
According to party sources, the flight carrying Tarique Rahman was scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport between 11:45am and 11:50am. He is returning to Dhaka accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and their daughter, Zaima Rahman. Tarique Rahman’s adviser Mahdi Amin said strict security and protocol arrangements would be enforced immediately after the aircraft’s landing.
Upon arrival, Tarique Rahman’s first priority will be to visit his ailing mother, former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital. However, considering the presence of a large number of party leaders, activists and supporters, he is expected to briefly address the nation on the way to the hospital.
A short gathering is planned at the 300 Feet area, where Tarique Rahman will deliver a brief speech expressing gratitude to the people. Party sources said he will speak alone at the gathering. After the address, he will proceed directly to Evercare Hospital and later return to his residence in Gulshan.
His packed three-day schedule includes a mix of personal engagements, political activities and commemorative visits. On Friday (December 26), after Jummah prayers, Tarique Rahman will visit the grave of his late father, former president and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, to pay his respects. He will also go to the National Memorial in Savar to place wreaths in honour of the martyrs of the Liberation War.
On Saturday (December 27), he is scheduled to visit the grave of Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman bin Hadi, who was shot and killed earlier this month. Later that day, Tarique Rahman is expected to go to the Election Commission to submit his voter registration application and then visit the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), commonly known as Pongu Hospital, to enquire about those injured in the July Uprising.
BNP insiders said the scale of mobilisation for the homecoming is unprecedented. Around 10 lakh leaders and activists from the Chattogram division alone are expected to travel to Dhaka. BNP central committee co-organising secretary for the division, Mir Helal, said between 700,000 and one million people from the region would gather in the capital. From his own constituency, 123 buses and 85 microbuses have been hired.
Nearly one lakh BNP leaders and activists are preparing to travel from Cumilla, while about 200 buses are set to depart from Sylhet district, including around 40 buses from Sylhet-6 alone. Approximately 35,000 supporters are expected from Rajshahi, while more than 500 buses and other vehicles are heading to Dhaka from Bogura.
Railway sources said four special trains-Panchagarh-Dhaka, Chatmohar-Dhaka, Jessore-Dhaka and Khulna-Dhaka-were arranged from December 25, each with a capacity of around 3,000 passengers. Additional bogies have also been added to regular trains on various routes.
Expressing emotions shared by many supporters, Ahmedul Haque, came from Bogura, said the return marked the end of years of repression. “After 17 long years, our leader is returning. We hope a fair election will bring stability back to Bangladesh,” he said.
Tarique Rahman was arrested in 2007 following the political changes during the 1/11 government. After being released from jail in 2008, he went to the United Kingdom for medical treatment and remained there until now.
As Dhaka braces for massive crowds and tight security, both the government and the BNP acknowledge the same reality: Tarique Rahman’s homecoming is set to reshape the country’s political atmosphere, making December 25, 2025, a turning point watched closely across the nation.
