Tarique will return 'carrying the flag of Bangladesh', Fakhrul says

Senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said the party's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will land in Dhaka on Dec 25 "carrying the flag of Bangladesh”.

The BNP secretary general made the remark on Monday at a Victory Day discussion meeting, recalling a statement made by a Chinese premier to Tarique in 2002 during a visit by the former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

He recounted the incident: "We travelled to China with our leader Begum Khaleda Zia. Our leader [Tarique Rahman] was also present. When the guard of honour was being accorded to Khaleda Zia at the Great Hall, and the introductions were being made, Tarique Rahman was standing next to a leader beside me.

"When [Khaleda] told the Chinese premier 'He is my son’ I still remember the Chinese premier firmly gripping his hands saying 'Carry the flag of your father and mother’.”

He said: "Carrying that flag of nationalism, the flag of independence, the flag of democracy, [Tarique] will be arriving in Bangladesh on the 25th. We shall all certainly rise on that day for democracy, independence, and sovereignty."

Tarique virtually joined the discussion, organised by the BNP at the Engineers Institute Auditorium in Ramna ahead of Victory Day, from London.

The meeting began with a special prayer service seeking the swift recovery of BNP Chairperson Khaleda, who is currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital.