Dhaka [Bangladesh], December 25 : Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman is set to arrive in Dhaka today after 17 years of exile, drawing massive crowds across the city, especially near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the 300-Foot road, where he is scheduled to receive a grand reception.
Leaders and activists from all over the country have gathered since morning in the capital, and people continue to pour in, turning the area into a sea of supporters to witness a significant moment in the political history of the country following the ousting of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year during the July Uprising.
According to estimates, hundreds of thousands have gathered to welcome the BNP leader after his return from 17 years in exile.
Tarique Rahman has already landed in Sylhet, a northeastern city outside Dhaka, and is expected to depart shortly for the capital. The scale of the gathering highlights the anticipation and significance of his homecoming for the party and its supporters.
Authorities have made extensive arrangements to manage the crowd and ensure a smooth reception as the BNP acting chairman arrives in Dhaka later today.
After spending 17 years in exile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, is set to return to Dhaka on Thursday, prompting extensive preparations by the party.
According to bdnews24, citing party sources, Rahman, who is the son of former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, boarded a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from London on Wednesday (local time), accompanied by his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter, Zaima Rahman.
The flight is scheduled to make a stopover in Sylhet before landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 11:20 am (local time), bdnews24 reported.
Leaders and activists of the BNP's UK unit accompanied him to the airport and saw him off.
To manage the crowd, airport authorities imposed a 24-hour ban on visitors at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport ahead of Rahman's return.
According to bdnews24, officials in a statement said that the restriction will remain in force from 6:00 pm on December 24 until 6:00 pm on December 25.
During this period, entry to the airport will be permitted only for passengers holding valid tickets and passports, and all other visitors and accompanying persons will be barred from the airport premises.
Bangladesh's interim government is also implementing the necessary measures to protect the BNP Acting Chairman.
According to Press Secretary of the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Shafiqul Alam, the government welcomed Rahman's return to the country, adding that security preparations are being finalised in coordination with the BNP, with authorities working to accommodate all requests made by the party, bdnews24 reported.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Alam said that the government is making "every effort" to ensure adequate security.
Following his arrival, Rahman will attend a short reception organised by the party on the 300 Feet Road, also known as the 36 July Expressway, bdnews24 reported.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, convenor of the "Tarique Homecoming Committee", said the programme on the 300 Feet Road would include a brief address by the Acting Chairman.
Following this, he will visit Evercare Hospital and later move to his residence at Gulshan Avenue in Dhaka, bdnews24 reported.