BNP leader Tarique pays tribute to fallen 1971 war heroes at National Memorial

His travel from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to Savar takes five hours to complete

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has paid tribute to the fallen heroes of the 1971 Liberation War at the National Memorial in Savar.

His travel to the National Memorial, which started after 5pm from the Zia Udyan, took about five hours to complete.

Tarique laid a wreath on the National Memorial around 10pm.

Earlier in the day, he paid respects at the grave of his father, party founder and former president Ziaur Rahman, in Dhaka's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar shortly before 4:45pm on Friday, accompanied by members of the BNP’s Standing Committee.

His motorcade had set off from his Gulshan residence around 2:52pm, but progress was slow because of large crowds lining the route. Heavy congestion meant the journey of around 8km took more than two and a half an hours.

Massive crowds gathered along the route from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar to Savar.

Standing at the front of a bus decorated in the red and green colours of the party flag, Tarique waved to party leaders and supporters gathered along the roads.

He returned to Bangladesh on Thursday after spending more than 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom.

[Updates to follow]