BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is finally returning home tomorrow after her over two months’ stay in London.
At a briefing in Khaleda’s Gulshan office yesterday, BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon said the BNP chief would fly from London by a flight of Emirates Airline on Friday night (London local time). The flight is scheduled to land at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital around 4:55pm the next day.
Facing several graft cases, former premier Khaleda had so far postponed her departure from the UK at least eight times. But reasons of the postponement were not clear as the BNP high-ups were kept in the dark on this, several party leaders told The Daily Star.
Some Awami League top leaders have been alleging that staying at her elder son Tarique Rahman’s house in London, Khaleda is hatching conspiracy against the present government and involved in the recent killings of foreign nationals.
They also say Khaleda may not come back to the country, fearing punishment by the court in corruption cases.
Most BNP leaders know nothing of their party chief’s schedule in the UK, according to the party sources.
Sources close to Tarique told this correspondent that one of the reasons of Khaleda’s staying longer in London was to repair and renew relations with neighbouring India and some western countries without the Bangladesh’s government listening in.
The Daily Star, however, could not confirm this independently.
On September 15, Khaleda left for the UK for treatment of her eyes and knee and to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with her family members.
Before leaving London, Khaleda will celebrate the 51st birth anniversary of Tarique, also senior vice-chairman of the BNP, in the wee hours of today, family sources told The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, three more prosecution witnesses yesterday gave their statements before the Special Judge’s Court-3 of Dhaka in Zia Charitable Trust graft case, court sources said.
The next hearing on the case will be held on November 26.
