Tarique Rahman accorded warm reception at Dhaka airport
He also exchanged pleasantries with the BNP men present at the airport and waved his hand towards them.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman today (25 December) was accorded warm reception and emotional greetings at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on arrival from London.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir led the party standing committee members to greet the acting chairman and accord reception at the VVIP lounge of the airport as Tarique Rahman embraced them with a wide smile and warm handshake.
He also exchanged pleasantries with the BNP men present at the airport and waved his hand towards them.
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His mother-in-law Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu welcomed him with a flower bouquet as his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman accompanied him.
Tarique Rahman finally returned to homeland as he arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here around 11.40am by a regular Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.
"The aircraft carrying him along with his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:40am after making around one-hour stopover at Sylhet's Osmani International Airport from London," Biman's Managing Director and CEO Dr Md Shafiqur Rahman told BSS.
Earlier, the flight departed from London's Heathrow Airport at 6.15pm (London Time) on Wednesday and touched down at Sylhet airport at 09:56am en route to Dhaka.
Tarique Rahman returned home after a long 17 years in exile in the UK.
Members of the BNP Standing Committee extended a warm reception to him on arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Later, he will proceed to Evercare Hospital to be with the ailing mother and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
A very brief public event has also been arranged in the area of July 36 Expressway (300-Foot Road) as the BNP acting chairman will express his gratitude to the people of the country there on his way to the hospital.
"This is neither a public meeting nor a formal reception program. It is simply an event for him to express his sincere gratitude to the countrymen and to seek prayers for the well-being of Begum Khaleda Zia and all citizens," BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed told a press conference on Wednesday.
He said Tarique Rahman does not support any programme that could cause public suffering.
"For this reason, he also has requested expatriate leaders and supporters not to gather at the London airport. He, as well, instructed not to arrange any party programme in Bangladesh that could create public inconvenience," Salahuddin added.
He also informed that Tarique Rahman even chose a government holiday for his return to minimize public suffering.
"Instead of having a large programme in a central area of the capital, a very brief event has been planned on the service lane of one side of the comparatively less crowded 300-Foot Road (36 July Expressway)," he said.
None but Tarique Rahman will speak at this event.
"Although it is not entirely possible to control the influx of eagerly waiting party activists and supporters from different parts of the country after 17 years, the party is making its utmost effort," said Salahuddin.
Referring to the public inconvenience, he said, "We sincerely apologize for the unavoidable essential and minimal programmes taken by the party to make our beloved leader's historic return a reality, and for any inconvenience and suffering caused by them."
After that, he will visit his mother Begum Khaleda Zia at Evercare Hospital, where he will spend some exclusive time by her side.
From the hospital, Tarique Rahman will move to house number 196 on Gulshan Avenue. This house has been newly prepared by the BNP for his stay following his return. The house 'Firoza,' where BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia currently resides, is located next to this property.
Salahuddin Ahmed said on December 26, after Jummah prayers Tarique Rahman will leave his residence to go to the grave of BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and offer prayers for eternal peace of the departed soul of his father. Then he will visit National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar and pay his homage to Liberation War Martyrs there.
On the December 27, he will accomplish his NID card and voter registration process, after which he will visit the grave of Shaheed Osman Hadi and offer munajat. Then he will go to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Pangu Hospital) to see those injured in the July mass uprising.
Referring to medical services and traffic management, Salahuddin said, "The event (at 300-foot road) will feature 20 medical camps, with arrangements for full-time doctors, paramedics, medicines, and ambulances. A six-bed field hospital will also be set up near the stage with an ICU ambulance."
He mentioned that help desks would be set up at three locations-Kakoli intersection on Airport Road, in front of the international airport, and Abdullahpur-to ensure uninterrupted movement for passengers travelling to and from the airport, as well as for ambulances carrying patients. Motorcycle squads will be deployed to help keep the routes clear.
Salahuddin said, "We know that despite our best efforts, we cannot diminish the irresistible urge of the millions of people who have been waiting for 17 years across the country to see their beloved leader even once, and their current rush towards the capital. We are certain, Insha'Allah, tomorrow Bangladesh is going to witness its largest public gathering in history."
Regarding the overall security, Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam, the Chief Security Officer of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman said the government is providing maximum cooperation considering all aspects and has given necessary instructions to various forces and agencies.
He expressed hope to create a combined security system coordinating government agencies and party men.
The BNP however has prepared a separate chamber for the Acting Chairman at the Chairperson's office in Gulshan, according to party sources. A separate chamber has also been allocated for him at the Naya Paltan central office.
The party has also rented a new office space, building number 10/C on Road 90 in Gulshan to manage the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, and it will also include a separate chamber for Tarique Rahman.
Tarique Rahman will conduct all party activities from the chamber. He will contest the upcoming 13th National Parliament Election, to be held on February 12 from the Bogura-6 constituency.
History shows that time answers all questions in politics, and this rings true for Tarique Rahman. He once left for the UK for medical treatment under the red eye of so-called one eleven government, living in exile. Today, after a decade and a half, he is returning to the country's soil after becoming a leader of the masses and a symbol of national unity.
Tarique Rahman's long political journey was not smooth. During the 2001-2006 administration, a mountain of controversies was intentionally created against him, and numerous lawsuits were filed. The then-opposition party Awami League, the 1/11 government, and an influential segment of civil society consistently leveled accusations against him.
During the infamous 1/11 government, Tarique Rahman was arrested on March 7, 2007. He suffered inhumane physical torture while in remand, leading to severe illness.
He was released on bail on September 3, 2008. After 18 months of imprisonment, he went to London for treatment. More than 17 years have passed since then, a long life in exile, without touching the soil of his homeland.
After the Awami League came to power through the election on December 29, 2008, they obstructed the path of democracy by abolishing the caretaker government through the 15th Amendment of constitution on June 30, 2011, thus blocking the path to a fair election.
Begum Khaleda Zia was evicted from her house, and autocrat Sheikh Hasina established a coercive regime.
In February 2018, Begum Khaleda Zia was sentenced and imprisoned in a false corruption case. In her absence, Tarique Rahman took the reins of the party from nearly 8,000 kilometers away. He took the responsibility of Acting Chairman from Senior Vice Chairman.
Since then, he has been engaged in the movement to restore democracy in the country, vocal and steadfast against enforced disappearances, killings and torture.
The time in exile in the UK was also a period of immense personal hardship for Tarique Rahman. The death of his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko left him mentally shattered.
Simultaneously, the BNP Chairperson and his mother Begum Khaleda Zia faced imprisonments, illnesses, and medical crises due to political vendetta.
In this reality, Tarique Rahman focused steadily on keeping the organization intact from a distant location. Knowing that the fascist ruling class wanted to politically eliminate him, he built a people centered resistance system instead of a self-centered movement, stating clearly, "The path Bangladesh will take will be decided on the streets," a testament to his patience and composed leadership.
Despite his long exile in the distant UK, he became the central driving force of the BNP in terms of party decisions, strategic planning, and political directives. Tarique Rahman has earned a place in the hearts of leaders and activists at all levels of the party.
In his political character, party workers and supporters find legacy of the BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman. Leaders and activists say that the main strength of a leader's leadership lies in their sense of justice and mentality. Tarique Rahman is such a leader, who was the closest even from the farthest distance.
Tarique Rahman's return home on December 25 is not merely a personal or party event; it marks an emotional and deeply meaningful chapter in Bangladesh's political history. His return has created new hope among BNP leaders, activists, supporters and even the whole countrymen.
They believe that his return will reorganize the party after a long political stalemate, and simultaneously create a new reality in national politics. It is also believed that under his leadership, democracy and civil rights will return to the country, ushering in a new chapter of political stability.
