DHAKA, June 11, (V7N) – BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will return to the country "soon", said the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan during an Eid greetings exchange, Fakhrul declined to give a specific date but affirmed that the return is imminent.

He also provided an update on party chief Khaleda Zia’s health, saying, “Alhamdulillah, she is in better condition than before. Doctors have also confirmed this.”

Fakhrul, who recently returned from Thailand after undergoing eye surgery, touched on various political issues including BNP’s demand for elections by December, and a possible shift in the election schedule.

Regarding the government's announced election timeline for April, he said, “We haven’t taken a formal party decision yet. We hope the government will reconsider based on the reality.”

He confirmed a meeting between Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and Tarique Rahman is scheduled for Friday morning (9–11 am local time) in London.

“I’m hopeful,” Fakhrul added, when asked if the meeting might lead to a change in the election date. “This is the right time and place—new horizons can open.”

Tarique Rahman has been in London since 2008 for medical treatment. His wife, Zubaida Rahman, returned to Bangladesh on May 6 after 17 years. On May 28, the High Court acquitted Tarique and Zubaida in a long-pending corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

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