Tarique Rahman to return home soon, says Fakhrul
Fakhrul, however, did not give any exact date for the return of Tarique who has been living in the United Kingdom since 2008
BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman is expected to return to Bangladesh "soon", party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said today (10 June).
"Tarique Rahman will certainly return to the country. Of course, he will come back," he said while speaking to reporters at the BNP Chairperson's political office in Gulshan.
Asked by journalists when exactly the BNP acting chairperson might return home, Fakhrul said, "He will return soon."
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Fakhrul, however, did not give any exact date for the return of Tarique who has been living in the United Kingdom since 2008.
Earlier, the BNP leader confirmed that Tarique will hold a formal meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, who is currently visiting the UK, on 13 June in London.
Tarique is set to meet Yunus at a time of significant disagreement between his party and the interim government over the timing of the next general election.
Fakhrul expressed the hope that the meeting could prove to be a major turning point, stating that if all goes as planned, many issues could be resolved, and new dimensions may emerge.
In another positive development for the party, the BNP leader said Chairperson Khaleda Zia's health has improved significantly.
"Alhamdulillah, she appears to be physically better than before. That's what the doctors are saying. She is much better," Fakhrul said.
Tarique, the elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, went to London with his family in 2008 after being released from prison during the 1/11 caretaker government period. During the Awami League's rule, he was convicted in five cases in absentia and faced over a hundred legal proceedings.
He was declared a "fugitive" by the courts, and the broadcast of his statements was banned. After his passport expired, Tarique had to seek political asylum in the UK.
Following the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising of July–August, the political landscape began to shift. Both Khaleda and Tarique were acquitted in all the cases in which they had previously been convicted.
Earlier this year, Khaleda Zia travelled to London for medical treatment and stayed at her son's residence.
Tarique's wife Dr Zubaida Rahman also visited Dhaka last May, ending her 17 years of exile in London.
