House 196 on Gulshan Avenue prepared for Tarique

With the 13th Jatiya Sangsad elections approaching, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is accelerating its preparations—finalising candidates in 236 constituencies and quietly readying the stage for what party insiders describe as the most consequential political comeback in years: the return of acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

High-level sources, recent remarks by senior leaders, and intense activity at House 196 on Gulshan North Avenue all point to one conclusion—Tarique Rahman may arrive in Dhaka in the first week of December, ending nearly 17 years of exile.

Though the BNP is refraining from disclosing a specific date “for strategic reasons”, insiders say the timeline has been shifted from late November to early December.

BNP builds momentum around return narrative

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed was the first leader to publicly hint at Tarique’s return, saying he hoped the acting chairman would be back before the end of November.

While not officially confirmed, his statement triggered widespread speculation within party ranks.

Now, party figures close to Tarique Rahman say that “given recent circumstances,” the target has been reset to early December, a period many BNP leaders feel is politically favourable ahead of the national polls.

House 196: The new power centre

The strongest indicator of Tarique Rahman's impending return lies in the rapid renovation of House 196, a sprawling residence on Gulshan-2 Avenue. The house, long associated with the Zia family, has recently been fully registered in Tarique Rahman’s name after the interim government completed formalities.

Renovation and security enhancement are in full swing:

Interior and exterior decoration

Installation of CCTV cameras

Barbed-wire fencing around the compound

Security check-posts being set up

“This house is being prepared with enhanced security for his stay,” said BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman, noting that it sits on one and a half bighas of land and includes three bedrooms, drawing, dining, living room, a swimming pool, and modern facilities.

Formerly allocated to Begum Khaleda Zia after the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman in 1981, the house is now poised to become the centre of BNP’s political operations.

BNP leader Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain confirmed that renovation was in its final stages and that Tarique would live at House 196 upon his return. Its proximity to Khaleda Zia’s residence is considered strategically crucial for coordinating party activities.

Political office in Gulshan also being prepared

Parallel preparations are underway at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan, where Tarique is expected to conduct meetings and oversee election strategy once back in Dhaka.

Party insiders say the earlier “end of November” return timeline mentioned by Salahuddin Ahmed has now quietly shifted to early December, reflecting both political calculations and logistical readiness.

Observers: ‘Return is now a matter of time’

Political analysts note that Tarique Rahman is likely weighing the timing of his return against the fluid national political situation. Still, the statements made by senior BNP figures and visible preparations in Gulshan suggest that the party is treating his return as imminent.

Officials say BNP will formally announce the details of the acting chairman’s homecoming at an appropriate moment.

Nearly 17 years in exile

Tarique Rahman has lived in London since September 11, 2008, after securing bail following arrest and alleged torture during the January 1, 2011 military-backed caretaker regime.

He has remotely steered BNP politics for years, and after Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in 2018, he was made acting chairman.

Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government during the August 5 mass uprising, Tarique Rahman was acquitted of all cases, removing major legal hurdles to his return.

But it is House 196 – now secured, renovated, and politically symbolic – that signals the BNP’s clearest message: Tarique Rahman is coming home, and his role in the upcoming elections will be pivotal.