After months of speculation about his return to Bangladesh from the United Kingdom, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's son, Tarique Rahman, will finally be back in Bangladesh after 17 years. Tarique Rahman announced on Tuesday at an event organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the UK on the occasion of Victory Day at The City Pavilion Hall in London.
"I want to make a request to you. My dear brothers and sisters, I have been with you for 18 years. At different times on different occasions, I have met you, and we have memories, and I have shared my pain with you...By the wishes of Allah, I will return to the country on the 25th, but I want to appeal to everyone not to come to the airport...I appeal to all of you to pray, pray for Begum Khaleda Zia, pray for strength for me to Allah so that we can achieve the vision I have held up before you," Tarique Rahman told the gathering.
Rahman has been living abroad since he left the country with his family in 2008. Tarique Rahman spent 18 months in jail before being released on September 3, 2008, following which he left for the United Kingdom. Under the Sheikh Hasina regime, he was convicted in several cases, which were seen as politically motivated cases against the then-opposition party, BNP. Since then, he has been living in the United Kingdom with his family and running the party from abroad.
With his mother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia critically ill, it was expected that Tarique Rahman would return to Bangladesh, but unspecified constraints have kept him from returning so far. Rahman had explained his continued absence and made it clear that his return, even at this critical juncture, was being held up by matters that are "not in his control".
"In this critical time, I, like any child, have an intense desire to receive my mother's affectionate touch. However, like everyone else, the ability to realise this is neither unreservedly under my sole decision-making authority nor my exclusive control. The scope for elaborating on this sensitive matter is also limited. Our family is hopeful that my prolonged, anxious wait for repatriation will end as soon as this political reality reaches the desired level," Rahman said in a Facebook post.
Speaking at the event in London on Tuesday, Tarique Rahman said, "A conspiracy is still on. Conspirators are still active, those who were involved in conspiracy in 1971, in 1975 they were defeated on 7th November, those who were involved in conspiracy in 1981 and those who were involved in conspiracy in 1996, and even later, those who were involved in conspiracy, they have not stopped."
"We have to keep the people of Bangladesh alert about this conspiracy," Tarique Rahman added.
Rahman also said that he is confident that his party will form the next government with the support of the people of Bangladesh. Rahman has emerged as a possible future Prime Minister who could take over the reins of the country if his party wins the upcoming election.
However, there are fears in Bangladesh that the radical Islamist group Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh may disrupt the election and prevent it from taking place. The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has been soft on the Jamaat, as minorities have faced targeted attacks. The Jamaat also has a questionable history, with the organisation being known for its pro-Pakistan stance even during Bangladesh's liberation struggle in 1971.
Tarique Rahman's father, General Ziaur Rahman was the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. He played a leading role in Bangladesh's liberation struggle and established the first civil administration in Roumari, an area recaptured from the Pakistani forces. For his contributions to the liberation war, Ziaur Rahman was decorated with the second-highest gallantry award of Bangladesh, 'Bir Uttam'. He was assassinated in Chittagong on May 30, 1981 in an army coup.
