Tarique Rahman pays homage to his father after 19-year

A day after returning to Bangladesh following years in exile, Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman paid homage to his father, BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman, by visiting his grave at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Friday afternoon after 19 years.

Tarique Rahman reached the mausoleum of the late president around 4:40pm, where he placed floral wreaths, took part in prayers and stood silently beside his father’s grave for several moments, creating an emotional atmosphere among party leaders and supporters present at the scene.

BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan said Tarique Rahman last visited the grave on September 1, 2006, when he was serving as the party’s senior joint secretary general and paid respects on the occasion of the BNP’s founding anniversary.

Since then, changing political circumstances and a prolonged period of exile had prevented him from returning to the site.

From early Friday afternoon, a large number of BNP leaders and activists gathered at Zia Udyan and the surrounding mausoleum area ahead of Tarique Rahman’s visit. Thousands were seen holding banners and festoons, creating a heavy crowd in and around the premises.

To prevent disorder and ensure security, extensive measures were taken by law enforcement agencies. Members of the police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and personnel in plain clothes were deployed in large numbers across the area, according to officials.

Senior BNP leaders accompanied Tarique Rahman during the visit, including party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, members of the BNP standing committee and other central-level leaders.

Following the visit to his father’s grave, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to Savar later in the day to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Martyrs’ Memorial, party sources said.