BNP spokesman Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Wednesday said party senior vice chairman Tarique Rahman is very eager to return home very soon.
“Tarique Rahman has been in London for medical treatment. His personal decision is to return home. He’ll return as soon as possible in consultation with the physicians,” he said.
Dudu, also an adviser to the BNP chairperson, was talking to reporters at an unscheduled press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in the morning.
The BNP leader claimed that the ruling party men have renewed its propaganda against Tarique as his recent speech in London has jolted the base of the current regime.
The BNP senior vice chairman, who has been staying in London since 2008, came to the spotlight last week after he addressed a meeting of BNP in East London on May 20.
Tarique reportedly told the meeting that the government should accept people’s demand for restoration of the caretaker government in the interest of the country. He also urged the Bangladeshi expatriates to put pressure on the government to accept the demand that virtually aggrieved the ruling party men.
On Sunday, a Dhaka court issued a warrant for the arrest of Tarique in a money-laundering case and asked the government to take necessary steps to bring him back with the help of Interpol.
Tarique, the eldest son of BNP chief and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, faces over a dozen of criminal cases, including the money laundering one.
Dudu alleged that Awami league has been in a negative campaign against Tarique for the last 10 years but gained nothing as no specific allegation against him could be proved yet.
The BNP leader urged the government to ensure a congenial atmosphere for Tarique’s smooth homecoming and said, “When he’ll step into Dhaka, Sheikh Hasina and her regime will understand how popular he is.”
Tarique, arrested on March 7, 2007 during the army-backed interim regime, was freed from jail on bail on September 3, 2008 and left for London for treatment eight days later.
Source: The Independent
