BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed returned to Bangladesh yesterday from India, where he ended up under mysterious circumstances over nine years ago.
To give him a warm welcome, thousands of party members gathered at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport, where he landed at 2:15pm after departing from Delhi at 11:00am.
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Upon his return in a changed political landscape after the ouster of the Awami League government, Salahuddin paid respects to BNP founder Ziaur Rahman at his grave in the city’s Chandrima Udyan.
Speaking to reporters there, Salahuddin called for meaningful reforms to the country’s democratic structures to build a “truly democratic state”.
“We must make this victory meaningful,” he said, referring to the outcome of the recent uprising.
The BNP leader urged everyone to be patient and restore discipline so that the people can enjoy the benefits of freedom and democracy.
“If we can establish the rule of law, create a state governed by the rule of law, and allow all constitutional and democratic institutions to function independently and impartially, its benefit will reach every home of the 18 crore people.”
He vowed to protect the country from external enemies and internal conspirators.
“This country did not achieve independence under the leadership of a single person. The country was liberated through the participation of all the people.”
“Independence cannot belong to any single party, nor can it belong to any individual. This liberation and victory belong to all of us, and we must protect this country,” he added.
After being missing for 62 days, former state minister Salahuddin was found in Shillong, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya on May 11, 2015.
He was arrested for entering India without valid documents and charged under the Foreigners Act. Later, Shillong police pressed charges against him in the case.
The BNP alleged that Salahuddin was abducted from his home in Uttara, Dhaka, on March 10, 2015, by people posing as police detectives.
On October 26, 2018, a Shillong court acquitted him of the charges related to illegal entry.
A higher court upheld the verdict on February 28, 2023, and directed the Indian government to arrange for his return to Bangladesh.
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