Tarique Rahman, the son of former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia and acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is preparing to return to Bangladesh after more than a decade in self-exile in London, senior party figures said. The announcement came as the 80-year-old BNP chairperson remains in critical condition and has been placed on a ventilator at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters that Rahman “will return to Bangladesh soon,” following a meeting of the party’s top decision-making body that reviewed the current political situation and the election campaign strategy. Party leaders say Tarique, who has lived abroad since 2008, is awaiting issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport and has turned down a one-time travel pass offered by the interim government.
Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed noted that Rahman is not currently registered as a voter in Bangladesh but said he could be registered if the Election Commission permits it. The passport and voter-registration matters are likely to affect the timing and logistics of any return.
Security around Khaleda Zia has been stepped up since her admission to Evercare Hospital on November 23 with infections affecting her heart and lungs. Police erected a barricade at the hospital’s main gate and hospital sources reported more than two dozen officers on duty to manage patient movement and enhance security. Four Special Security Force (SSF) personnel carried out an extended inspection of hospital areas after midnight.
The interim government has designated Zia a “very, very important person,” allowing for SSF deployment. Hospital officials say she is occupying a fourth-floor cabin, with adjacent rooms vacated for security reasons. 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 that Zia remains critically ill and is being treated with input from both local and international medical specialists. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep concern about her condition and offered assistance.
