Tarique Rahman to return by December 25: Fakhrul

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to return to Bangladesh on December 25, his party has announced.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir disclosed the information at a press conference in Dhaka on Friday night.

He said, “If everything goes as planned, Tarique Rahman will return to the country on December 25.”

However, no detailed itinerary or formal programme regarding his return has yet been announced.

Earlier, in late October, the BNP had indicated that it expected Tarique Rahman to return to Bangladesh by November. That, however, did not materialise, triggering speculation within political circles.

Questions surrounding his return resurfaced in late November, when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was admitted to hospital and her health condition deteriorated. At the time, Tarique Rahman said in a Facebook post that, even amid his mother’s illness, the decision regarding his return was “not entirely under his sole control.”

Neither Tarique Rahman nor his party offered a clear explanation as to why he was unable to return to the country.

BNP leaders, however, had hinted that once the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election is announced, Tarique Rahman would return to Bangladesh “regardless of the situation.”

Political analysts believe that Tarique Rahman’s return could have a significant impact on the BNP’s future political strategy and election preparations. Whether the return takes place as announced on December 25 will be closely watched by the political arena.