Zakir Hossain / Dhaka:
Exiled Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to return to Bangladesh on July 28, senior party leaders have confirmed. Preparations are underway for his high-profile homecoming, with a bulletproof vehicle, multi-layered security, and party coordination teams ready to receive him.
At a press briefing on June 27, BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said, “Tarique Rahman will return very soon,” adding that arrangements are in progress both in London and Bangladesh, including armoured transport, Central Security Force, and police escort.
A senior BNP source, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Tarique will fly from London to Sylhet, then on to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on July 28. His renovated residence on Gulshan Avenue will serve as his temporary headquarters before shifting to a nearby office to oversee party operations. Security measures have intensified since interim government Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury confirmed that no legal barriers remain to prevent Tarique’s return. His acquittals in key cases, including the August 21 grenade attack, have cleared the path for his political re-entry.
BNP insiders view his return as a pivotal moment, expected to galvanize grassroots supporters ahead of the 2026 election schedule. The deployment of heavy security reflects both the significance and sensitivity of his return amid ongoing political flux.
Tarique, the son of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has led the BNP from London since 2008 and became its acting chairman in 2018. His return signals a renewed focus on re-establishing BNP’s leadership in Dhaka after years of exile. He is widely regarded as the next prime ministerial candidate of Bangladesh, with his return marking a critical shift in the country’s post-Hasina political landscape.