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Published : 06 May 2025, 10:51 AM
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has returned home to her Gulshan residence “Feroza” after four months in London for advanced medical treatment.
After landing at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Khaleda set off for home with her two daughters-in-law – Tarique Rahman’s wife Zubaida Rahman and the late Arafat Rahman Coco’s wife Syeda Sharmila Rahman – on a white Pajero Jeep around 11:20am on Tuesday.
It took over two hours for the motorcade to make the 11.5km journey from the airport to her home. Along the way, the party chief was welcomed by thousands of supporters and party activists.
Though Khaleda usually does not sit in the front passenger seat, she was there today. Her daughters-in-law sat in the back.
Khaleda Zia’s sister Selima Islam, younger brother Shamim Iskandar, Shamim’s wife Kaniz Fatima, and Zubaida’s elder sister Shahina Zaman Bindu and other family members greeted Khaleda at Feroza.
Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas and General Secretary Sultana Ahmed were also present.
The BNP chief arrived in Dhaka on board an air ambulance provided by Qatar’s emir around 10:40am.
The convoy carrying Khaleda left the airport and travelled along Airport Road, Khilkhet, Niketon, Kakoli, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, the Gulshan-2 Roundabout, and Gulshan Avenue before arriving at her home.
Along the way, Khaleda was welcomed by thousands of BNP leaders, activists, and supporters waving national flags and BNP flags. She waved from the car and returned their greetings as she passed.
Extensive security measures have been taken surrounding Feroza and the roads in front of it, including the deployment of large numbers of police personnel.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Selima Rahman were at the airport terminal to greet the party chief.
Shahabuddin Talukder, the head of the medical board formed to oversee her treatment, BNP Standing Committee member AZM Zahid Hossain, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council Member Enamul Haque Chowdhury, Executive Committee member Tabith Awal, London BNP President MA Malek and General Secretary Kaysar M Ahmed were among 14 others who accompanied the BNP chief on the flight.
The plane departed from London’s Heathrow Airport at 4:20pm local time. Tarique had driven his mother to the airport and seen her off, according to Khaleda’s private physician Prof AZM Zahid Hossain.
Tarique and his wife Zubaida have been in London since leaving Bangladesh amid the 2008 state of emergency. This will be Zubaida’s first trip back to the country since then, though when Tarique will return remains uncertain.
The 79-year-old three-time prime minister has long suffered from liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, heart problems, diabetes, and arthritis. She left for London on Jan 7 in a special air ambulance arranged by the Qatari emir.
She was treated by Patrick Kennedy and Jennifer Cross at the London Clinic and stayed there for 17 days before moving to Tarique’s home.
Tarique has lived in London with his wife and children since leaving the country during the state of emergency in 2008. Zubaida has returned home with her mother-in-law for the first time in 17 years. It is not yet clear when Tarique will be back.
Speaking to BNP activists at Heathrow, Khaleda had said: “Look after your brother (Tarique).”
