Sylhet BNP mobilises to welcome Khaleda at Osmani Airport

The Sylhet chapter of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called on all leaders and activists to gather at Osmani International Airport by 8 am on Monday, May 5, to welcome former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who is returning from medical treatment in the UK via a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight.

Sylhet District BNP President Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury told Jago News that Khaleda Zia will not disembark due to health concerns, but senior leaders will board the plane to greet her and convey her message to supporters. 

Accompanying her are Dr Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Sharmila Rahman, her daughter-in-law, personal physician AZM Zahid Hossain, adviser Enamul Haque Chowdhury, APS Masudur Rahman, and housekeepers Fatema Begum and Rupa Haque.

Sylhet District and Metropolitan BNP leaders, including Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, General Secretary Advocate Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, Metropolitan Acting President Rezaul Hasan Kayes Lodi, and General Secretary Imdad Hossain Chowdhury, will lead the reception. 

Imdad Hossain noted widespread enthusiasm among activists, with orders issued to representatives from six police stations, 42 ward committees, and affiliated organizations to ensure a strong presence.

Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in 2018 on corruption charges but released during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the Awami League government’s fall on August 5, 2024, President Md Shahabuddin ordered her release, and courts quashed her convictions. She travelled to London on January 8, 2025, for advanced treatment, staying at Tarique Rahman’s residence from January 25 before her return.