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As a large number of leaders and activists lined both sides of the road, it took him nearly two hours to reach. Throughout the journey, Tarique waved to supporters from inside his bus.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other senior leaders received Tarique and accompanied him to the mausoleum complex.

Ahead of Tarique’s arrival, law enforcement personnel had been deployed in and around the area from noon.

Visitors inside the park were kept at a safe distance, and no one was allowed to approach the grave.

Around 1:00pm, a large number of party leaders and activists began gathering around the area, carrying banners and photographs of the party leader.

Speaking to journalists at Zia Udyan, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed hope that Bangladesh would become a truly democratic state under Tarique’s leadership.

“Tarique Rahman’s return is not just a personal comeback; it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s politics. It will pave the way for the restoration of democracy and fulfilment of people’s aspirations,” Fakhrul said.

He also said people have started dreaming again and that Tarique now stood at the centre of those hopes. Expressing confidence, Fakhrul said Tarique would implement his far-reaching plans for the welfare of the people.

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas said, “Under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, democracy will fully blossom.”

He said the confusion and uncertainty among the public over election-related issues has been cleared up with Tarique’s return. “Tarique Rahman’s presence has brought clarity to the political arena. People are now far more confident than before about a free and fair election.”

NATIONAL MEMORIAL VISIT

Later in the night, Tarique visited the National Memorial in Savar. Along with senior party leaders, he paid his respects to the martyred freedom fighters, observed a one-minute silence in their memory, and signed the visitors’ book.

Tarique departed from Zia Udyan around 5:00pm and reached the National Memorial around 10:00pm.

As tributes are required to be paid before sunset, BNP Standing Committee members Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Abdul Moyeen Khan reached Savar before Tarique and placed wreaths at the memorial on his behalf.

It took Tarique around five hours to get to Savar from Zia Udyan, as party leaders and activists crowded in front of his vehicle at various points along the route. Members of the army and police escorted him amid the heavy crowd, while the vehicle moved forward slowly. On the way, Tarique stood at the front of his bus and waved to party leaders and activists.

At around 10:30pm, he left the National Memorial and returned to his Gulshan residence around midnight.

TODAY’S AGENDA

Today, Tarique is expected to formally register as a voter. After completing the process, he will visit the grave of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi near the Dhaka University Central Mosque.

He will then go to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), popularly known as Pangu Hospital, to meet those injured in last year’s July uprising.