Tarique Rahman arrives in Chattogram after 20 years

BNP chairman Tarique Rahman arrived in Chattogram on Saturday evening, marking his return to the port city after nearly two decades.

He landed at Shah Amanat International Airport at around 7:15pm on January 24, where senior BNP leaders and Chattogram metropolitan leaders received him. BNP standing committee members Salahuddin Ahmed and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, along with other top local leaders, were present at the airport.

Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Chattogram as party chief after almost 20 years has created significant political excitement, festive momentum and high expectations across the city. Major roads, intersections and alleyways have been decorated with banners and festoons, while party leaders and activists are showing heightened enthusiasm. Tarique Rahman last visited Chattogram on May 6, 2005.

Preparations for the grand rally have been underway for several days at the Polo Ground. On the western side of the field, a massive stage measuring 100 feet in length and 60 feet in width has been constructed using more than 2,000 bamboo poles. Organisers claim the stage can accommodate around 1,500 people at a time, with more than 5,000 chairs placed in front. More than 200 microphones and 10 high-powered sound boxes have been installed in and around the venue. Around 200 microphones will be used from the Polo Ground to Kadamtali and Tigerpass. On-site observation on Saturday showed the field had been levelled, security barricades installed, and water sprayed by Chattogram City Corporation vehicles. BNP and its associate organisations’ leaders and activists were seen entering the ground in a steady stream of vehicles.

Chattogram city has been placed under tight security for the rally, with around 2,000 police personnel deployed. The venue has been divided into three security zones — red, yellow and green. The stage has been declared a red zone, restricted to BNP central leaders, standing committee members and parliamentary candidates from Chattogram’s 23 constituencies. The area in front of the stage has been designated a yellow zone with separate blocks for journalists and women, while the entire field has been marked as a green zone.