Tarique Rahman to return home this month: Salahuddin Ahmed

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman will return home by the end of this month, said Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of the party's standing committee. He expressed this optimism while talking to reporters at his residence in Dhaka on Wednesday (November 12). Salahuddin Ahmed said, "We hope he will return home by the end of this month. It may be a day or two, but we are optimistic."

Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, has been living in London for the past 17 years after leaving the country with his family during the state of emergency in 2008. Although his case complications were resolved after the fall of the Awami League government in the July coup, he has not returned.

Several members of the BNP standing committee have been saying for the past few months that Tarique Rahman is returning home "soon." But no one from the BNP has said a specific date.

In an interview with BBC Bangla published on October 6, Tarique Rahman was asked when he would be returning to the country. In response, the acting chairman of BNP said, “I think it will be soon. Soon, inshaAllah.”

He was asked again whether he would be in the country before the elections. Tarique Rahman replied, “When I do politics, as a political activist, I naturally have a close relationship with elections, political parties and political activists. So how can I stay away during an election where there is an expected election, expected by the people?”

“I will try my best, I will have the will, I will have the interest - that expected election, the expected election that the people want. When that expected election is held, I will be among the people, with the people, inshaAllah.”

Although he has been closely involved in the party and election management for almost two decades, he has never directly contested the election field. However, this time, Tarique Rahman is the candidate of Paddy Sheesh from Bogra-6 (Sadar) constituency in the 13th National Parliament election.