BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has applied for a “travel pass” to return to Bangladesh on 25 December. He submitted the application at the Bangladesh High Commission in London.

A source in the United Kingdom confirmed the matter on Thursday evening, saying the application has already been formally lodged with the High Commission.

Tarique Rahman, who has been living in exile in London for political reasons, did not receive a renewed Bangladeshi passport after the previous one expired. Even after the fall of the Awami League government following last year’s uprising, he did not apply for passport renewal. As a result, under the current circumstances, he needs a travel pass to return to Bangladesh as a Bangladeshi citizen.

Last month in Dhaka, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain told journalists that there would be no restriction if Tarique Rahman wished to return, adding that a travel pass could be issued within a day. He explained that when someone does not have a valid passport or the passport has expired, a one-time travel document is issued to allow entry into the country, and the process usually takes just one day.

Tarique Rahman was arrested following the political changeover of 11 January 2007. After being released from prison in 2008, he traveled to the United Kingdom with his family for medical treatment and has remained there ever since.

After more than 17 years abroad, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to return to Bangladesh from the UK on 25 December. He is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:55 am on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

The BNP is planning special arrangements to mark his return. Party Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the party wants to make the occasion historic, surpassing past political homecomings and remaining memorable for decades to come.

Tarique Rahman’s mother and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka since 23 November. After returning to the country, Tarique Rahman may go directly to the hospital to visit her. According to Salahuddin Ahmed, the party is therefore considering suitable locations near the airport and Evercare Hospital to receive and honor him upon his arrival.