Tarique Rahman applies for ‘travel pass’

Last month in Dhaka, responding to journalists’ questions at an event, foreign adviser Touhid Hossain said there were no restrictions on Tarique Rahman’s return to the country and that a travel pass could be issued within a day. In this regard, he said, “The rule is that if someone does not have a passport or if it has expired and they wish to return, we issue a one-time pass for a single entry into the country. It takes one day. So, if he says today that he wants to return, we could issue it tomorrow, and he could board a plane the day after. There is no problem. We can issue it.”

Tarique Rahman was arrested in 2007 following the political changes of 11 January. After being released from prison in 2008, he travelled to the United Kingdom with his family for medical treatment and has remained there since.

After more than 17 years, Tarique Rahman is returning to Bangladesh from the United Kingdom on 25 December. He will arrive at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:55 am that day on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

BNP is making special arrangements to mark Tarique Rahman’s return as a memorable event. The party’s Standing Committee member, Salahuddin Ahmed, said on Thursday, “We want his historic return to surpass all precedents set in the past 55 years and to be so memorable that no similar historic event occurs in the next 55 years. All our arrangements are aimed at making it truly unforgettable.”

Tarique Rahman’s mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since 23 November. After returning to the country, Tarique Rahman may go directly to the hospital to see his mother. Therefore, according to Salahuddin Ahmed, a suitable venue near the airport and Evercare Hospital is being sought to receive him.