Tarique Rahman, son of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia, is preparing to return to Bangladesh after more than a decade in self-exile in London, a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader said. The announcement came as the 80-year-old BNP chairperson remains in critical condition and has been placed on a ventilator.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters that acting party chairman Rahman “will return to Bangladesh soon,” remarks made after a meeting of the party’s top decision-making body that reviewed the political situation and election campaign strategy, The Daily Star reported.
BNP leaders say Tarique, who has lived abroad since 2008, is waiting for a new Bangladeshi passport and has declined to use a one-time travel pass offered by the interim government. Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed noted Rahman is not registered as a voter in Bangladesh but said he could register if permitted by the EC.
Security around Khaleda Zia has been increased at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, where she was admitted on November 23 with infections affecting her heart and lungs. Police set up a barricade at the hospital’s main gate in the early hours of Tuesday, and hospital sources reported more than two dozen officers on duty to facilitate patient movement and boost her security. Four members of the Special Security Force (SSF) conducted a near three-hour inspection of hospital areas after midnight.
The interim government designated Zia a “very, very important person,” allowing for SSF deployment. She is staying in a fourth-floor cabin with adjacent rooms vacated for security. Zia was moved to the coronary care unit four days after admission as complications worsened and was placed on ventilation Sunday night, BNP Vice-Chairman Advocate Ahmed Aazam Khan said, describing her condition as very critical and appealing for nationwide prayers.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed Zia remains critically ill and is being treated with input from local and international medical specialists. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep concern over her health and offered assistance.
