Khaleda returns in April. Will Tarique too?
Tarique acquitted in Tk21cr bribery case – the last case under trial
After nearly six months of treatment in London, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is set to return to Bangladesh in mid-April, the party's UK unit confirmed. This has fuelled speculation that her son, acting chairman Tarique Rahman, may also return home ending his 15-year exile in London. The only question is – when?
Tarique's homecoming has been a topic of discussion since a student-led uprising ousted Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on 5 August 2024, ending the party's rule for as long as Tarique's exile in the UK.
The speculations have since grown louder as Tarique's long-running legal battles appear to have ended, with all charges dismissed and his acquittal in every case.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
In the latest, Tarique was acquitted from a bribery case by a Dhaka court yesterday, apparently removing the last hurdle on his way to return home.
While announcing Khaleda's return in April, UK BNP President MA Malek also hinted that Tarique might return home a few days after she leaves London for Dhaka, reports BSS.
"Madam's [Khaleda] physicians are also preparing accordingly and are treating her in that way. However, there is also an issue with the flight. If that flight is not available on time, it may take a day or two. But Madam is ready to go home," Malek said while speaking to journalists after an iftar mahfil organised by the Noakhali Nationalist Forum UK today.
When asked about Tarique's return to Bangladesh, he could not give an exact date but said, "He may return home a few days after
Madam Khaleda Zia leaves London. I believe that two leaders will definitely not go at the same time."
Khaleda, a former three-time prime minister, has been living at her eldest son's home since she went to London on 7 January this year for medical treatment.
While there was speculation that both mother and son would return together, BNP's UK unit has dismissed the possibility.
However, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said Tarique could return at any time.
"Tarique Rahman will return to the country after considering everything, including his security issue," he said in an interview with UNB on Wednesday.
Tarique has been very active in Bangladesh's political arena virtually from London since the AL government fell. With the interim government preparing for the next national election after key reforms, his return has become highly anticipated among party members.
A long stay in London
Tarique left Bangladesh in September 2008 for medical treatment in the UK following his release on bail from multiple corruption cases during the 1/11 military-backed caretaker government.
Upon his departure, he announced his retirement from active politics. However, he later resumed his role in BNP leadership and has been serving as the party's acting chairman from London.
During the BNP-led four-party alliance government (2001-2006), Tarique wielded significant influence, with his political office, Hawa Bhaban, seen as an alternative power centre.
However, his fortunes changed when he was arrested on 7 March 2007 on graft and extortion charges during the army-backed caretaker government's anti-corruption drive.
After securing bail in September 2008, he left for London, where he has remained with his family.
Tarique, the eldest son of Khaleda and BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, faced around 85 cases filed against him during the 1/11 government and the subsequent Awami League administration.
His lawyer Barrister Zakir Hossain recently told TBS, "Around 84-85 cases were filed against Tarique during the 1/11 government and the Awami League government. Some major cases include the 21 August grenade attack, the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case, the illegal wealth case, the Singapore money laundering case, the defamation case in Narail, and the treason case in Dhaka."
"Tarique Rahman had been sentenced in these six cases, but they were all resolved in his favour by the Appellate Division," he added.
"Except for these six cases, charges were dropped in the other cases after 5 August, and the remaining cases were either dismissed or stayed by the High Court. These cases, filed in various districts, involved charges of sabotage, extortion, and defamation," said Zakir Hossain.
With all cases against him now cleared, political observers believe Tarique's return is only a matter of time. Whether it happens immediately after Eid-ul-Fitr or later, his reappearance in Bangladesh's political landscape is expected to have significant implications for the next national election.
