BNP welcomes Khaleda home

Leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations on Thursday accorded a reception for their chairperson Khaleda Zia, on her return to Dhaka after performing hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Khaleda flew back home on a regular flight of Emirates Airlines that landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, around 5:10pm.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir received Khaleda Zia at VIP lounge, according to the BNP chairperson’s press wing staff, Sayrul Kabir Khan.
A number of leaders and activists including Dhaka city BNP convener Mirza Abbas, also standing committee member, stood far away from VIP lounge as police erected barricades. However, they greeted their chairperson, standing there.
A tight security was enforced inside and outside the airport premises centring the return of BNP chief.
Additional law enforcers including police and Ansar members were deployed at the airport and also along the airport road to avert any untoward situation.
Armoured Personal Carrier and water canon vehicles were seen parked at the airport intersection.
BNP activists and leaders alleged that law enforcers prevented them from entering in the airport.
A good number of leaders and activists of BNP, its front and associate organisations waved banners, festoons and placards as they gathered from across parts of the capital and surrounding vicinities. They all lined up along the east lane of the airport road.
They received Khaleda amid chanting slogans as her motorcade slowly progressed on the road towards her Gulshan residence.
Many young men of BNP and its front organisations escorted Khaleda, riding motorbikes.
People suffered a lot as traffic came nearly to standstill. Vehicular movements were controlled by traffic police who shut the east part of the airport road.
Movements of transports on airport road towards Mohakhali were completely stopped for more than an hour from around 5:00pm.
Many people were seen walking towards Mohakhali while many were waiting for vehicles for hours and expressed their agonies.
Talking to journalists at the airport, Mirza Abbas criticised the government for ‘obstructing’ BNP leaders and activists from entering in the airport premises. He said it was beyond any political norms.
Khaleda Zia along with her entourage flew to Saudi Arabia on September 7 at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to perform the hajj.
Her eldest son Tarique Rahman also BNP senior vice chairman, his wife Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, his younger brother late Arafat Rahman Koko’s wife Sharmila Rahman flew from London to join Khaleda in the pilgrimage.
Apart from performing religious rituals in Makkah and Madinah, Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman discussed organisational and political matters during their stay in Saudi Arabia for two weeks, party sources said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net