Thousands of BNP leaders and supporters lined the streets from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Gulshan on Tuesday to welcome party chairperson Minister Khaleda Zia, who returned home after four months of medical treatment in London.

The former prime minister arrived in Dhaka around 10:30 am aboard an air ambulance provided by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. She is now en route to her residence, Firoza, in the capital’s Gulshan area.

Crowds of party activists, holding banners, festoons, and flowers, gathered at key intersections to greet their leader. Many wore T-shirts bearing her image and chanted slogans as her motorcade passed.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, speaking to reporters outside the airport’s VIP terminal earlier in the morning, said: “Khaleda Zia’s return will help restore democracy in the country. Today is a significant day for Bangladesh and its people. Her arrival is not just emotional for us—it is a show of political strength.”

Security was heightened along the route, with law enforcement personnel deployed to maintain order amid the large turnout.

Zia had travelled to London on January 8 for advanced medical care. Her trip and return were both facilitated by the Qatari Emir through the provision of an air ambulance.

SMS/