Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders and activists started crowding the 300 Feet Road since Thursday morning to welcome its acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s homecoming after 17 years.

Leaders and activists were joining the rally since Morning holding placards, photos of Tarique Rahman, fastoons and wearing T-shirts and caps.

Kazi Khairuzzaman Shipon, BNP Bagherhat district vice-president, said that he reached Dhaka city two days ago and was staying at a hotel for attending the event.

‘We are here since yesterday night. We came here to see our leader,’ he added.

He also hoped that the country would be on the right direction under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.

BNP activists are also thronging the venue through bus, truck and pick-up vans from different places in Dhaka and elsewhere across the country.

The gate of Basundhara Residiential Area near 300 feet area is now almost blocked with BNP leaders and activists.

They are chanting slogans for Tarique Rahman’s homecoming like ‘Ma Mati Kapchhe Tarique Rahman Aschhe.’

Sumon Jaman, a BNP supporter from Tongi, said that he usually did not attend political programmes, but came here to see Tarique Rahman.

A good number of law enforcement agencies members were also deployed in different places in the capital.

Tarique was arrested during an anti-corruption drive in March 2007 and released on bail in September 2008, after which he travelled to London for medical treatment on September 11, 2008, and remained there.

Following the fall of Awami League’s 16-year rule through a mass uprising on August 5, 2024, the High Court acquitted him of all cases filed during both the caretaker government period and the Awami League administration, clearing the legal obstacles to his return.