BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman is scheduled to return to Dhaka on December 25, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Friday.

“Today we are only announcing the date of his arrival. Further details will be shared later,” he told reporters.

Briefing the media around 9:45pm after a meeting of the party’s standing committee at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said, “If everything goes well, Tarique Rahman will land on the soil of Dhaka on December 25. It’s a good day—Christmas holiday.”

Fakhrul noted that Tarique has been in exile abroad for the past 18 years.

“We, as a party, not only welcome his return but want to share this joy with the entire nation. Once he is back, all obstacles on the path to democratic transition will be cleared,” he added.

Referring to Tarique Rahman’s meeting with Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in London, Fakhrul said the two leaders had earlier reached a decision that the next national election would be held by mid-February.

“This has eased our concerns about the polls. With the announcement of the election schedule, the train of democracy has already begun its journey, and the people’s expectations will now be fulfilled,” he said.

Tarique Rahman was arrested following the state of emergency on January 11, 2007. He was released from jail in 2008 and travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment with his family, where he has remained since.

After the student–public uprising ousted the Awami League government on August 5 last year, several convictions against Tarique were overturned, and he received legal relief in other cases. Since then, discussions over his possible return have intensified.

BNP leaders have been saying for months that Tarique Rahman would return “soon”, but no one had previously confirmed a specific date. Speculation heightened further when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s health deteriorated sharply, prompting expectations of Tarique’s imminent return.