BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to fly home today after 17 years abroad, departing London’s Heathrow at 6:15 p.m. local time on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-202 with his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman, party officials said. He is due to land in Dhaka late Thursday morning (Dec 25), with plans indicating a brief one-hour stop in Sylhet before arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Despite Rahman’s public request that supporters not go to the airport—warning that those who ignore the instruction would be seen as acting from “personal interest”—the BNP says it has mounted a nationwide mobilization to greet him. Senior leaders predict a crowd in the hundreds of thousands, with district and upazila cadres already heading to the capital by road and rail. The party says special trains on 10 routes and additional coaches on regular services are being arranged, while a few short-haul commuter services will pause Thursday to free capacity; participants have been told to observe the 2025 election code of conduct.
A reception is planned along Purbachal’s 300-Foot Road, where crews are erecting a 48-by-36-foot stage, eight feet high, and preparing an extensive sound and surveillance setup: party organizers say about 900 loudspeakers will line the route from the airport through Abdullahpur, Banani, Mohakhali and the 300-Foot corridor to Kanchan Bridge, with citywide LED displays and CCTV coverage. Barricades extending 25–30 feet from the stage will secure the front and flanks. A 30-unit mobile medical team will provide emergency care in and around the venue.
Security around Rahman’s motorcade and venues will be multilayered. The BNP says it has procured a bullet-resistant vehicle and an LC250 series Toyota Land Cruiser, while police will provide a protective detail from the airport to Gulshan. Retired Brig Gen (Dr) A K M Shamsul Islam has been named chief security officer, coordinating party security, the Chairperson’s Security Force and law-enforcement liaisons.
After the reception, the itinerary calls for Rahman to travel via Banani–Kakoli to the 300-Foot venue, then visit BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at Evercare Hospital, where she is under treatment, before proceeding to his mother’s residence in Gulshan. BNP’s Standing Committee, which met this week to finalize stage protocol and rally logistics, also discussed seat-sharing with allies and urged Rahman to contest a Dhaka constituency; party sources say he is expected to complete voter formalities on Saturday before any formal announcement.
Rahman left Bangladesh in 2008 for medical treatment and has resided in London since. His return has been a persistent point of speculation since the August 5 change of government.