Wife, daughter, cat: Former Bangladesh PM's son Tarique Rahman's entourage for historic homecoming

Tarique Rahman, playing chairman of the bangla desh nationalistic company (BNP) and boy of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, is home after living 17 years in exile.

Rahman boarded a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from London’s Heathrow Airport late Wednesday night, according to bdnews24.

Track updates on Tarique's return and unrest in Bangladesh here

The flight, which made a stopover at Sylhet, landed in Dhaka at around noon. Rahman, upon reaching Sylhet, took his official Facebook account and said, “Back in Bangladesh skies after 6,314 days!”.

Former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Rahman was accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Zarnaz Rahman, according to The Daily Star.

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The family was being accompanied by their pet cat, Zeebu. Rahman's two close aides, Abdur Rahman Suny and Kamal Uddin, also travelled with the family, per the report.

Scores of people in Dhaka braved the winter cold on Thursday morning to welcome Rahman as he makes a historic return to home after 17 years in exile. The Dhaka Tribune reported that BNP leaders and activists were seen sitting along the fog-covered road. The report quoted party sources saying that activists began arriving from various parts of the country late Wednesday night from places like Chittagong and Panchagarh.

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This is Rahman’s first homecoming to Bangladesh in nearly 17 years, having lived in London since 2008 following multiple criminal convictions in his home country, including money laundering and charges linked to an alleged plot to assassinate the now-ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

In Dhaka, Rehman was scheduled to visit his ailing mother, former PM and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. From the hospital, He will go to his residence in Gulshan-2 via Airport Road and Kakoli Mor, according to The Daily Star report.

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He will be received by BNP standing committee members at the Dhaka airport at noon on Thursday, party leader Salahuddin Ahmed told a press conference on Wednesday, the Daily Star reported.

Rehman will then travel to the reception venue via the July Expressway, also known as the 300-foot road, where he will thank party leaders and activists and address the nation.

Over the next few days, Rahman has a rather packed schedule as he will pay a visit to his father Zia ur Rahman’s grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar after Juma prayers on Friday and will also pay tribute at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Savar, the report quoted Salahuddin Ahmed as saying.

Rahman will complete formalities related to his Bangladeshi national identity card on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether he will personally visit the Election Commission office to complete the formalities. However, the BNP stated that all voter registration procedures will be completed on the same day.

Rehman will visit the grave of Osman Hadi, the student leader who was recently shot dead, at Dhaka University. He is also visit those injured in the uprising of July 2024 at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation to see those injured in the protests in July last year.

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