The plane carrying BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman entered Bangladeshi airspace on Thursday morning, ending his long exile. He captured the moment in a short message on his verified Facebook page at around 9:30 am Bangladesh time: “In the skies of Bangladesh after 6,314 long days!”
Earlier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ regular flight BG-202 departed from London’s Heathrow Airport for Dhaka at 6:15 pm (12:15 am Bangladesh time) on Wednesday. Tarique Rahman was accompanied on the flight by his wife Dr. Zubaida Rahman and daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman.
The crowd in the 300-foot area of Purbachal in the capital has been growing since morning, surrounding Tarique Rahman’s return to his homeland after almost 17 years. BNP leaders and activists took positions on both sides and in the middle of the road. As time passed, the area became festive.
BNP sources said that after reaching Dhaka, Tarique Rahman will be given a reception on a stage built in a 300-foot area. In the presence of party leaders and activists and the general public, this return has created special significance in the political arena.