The tribunal has acquitted 173 leaders and activists, including BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in an arson case of the capital's Ramna police station.

On Wednesday (January 8), Judge Shihabul Islam of Dhaka's Special Tribunal-16 gave the order after hearing the petition for acquittal.

The notable acquittals are BNP Vice Chairman Advocate Joynal Abedin, Health Affairs Secretary Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam, Legal Affairs Secretary Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Organizing Secretary Shama Obaid, Joint Secretary General Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and others.

On January 30, 2018, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was returning home after appearing in the special court set up at Alia Madrasa Ground on Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka. When she arrived in the Paribagh area under Shahbagh police station, BNP leaders and activists started shouting slogans on the streets. It is alleged that at one point, BNP leaders and activists attacked the police and got into a clash. On the same day, Police Sub-Inspector Md. Mohibullah filed a case with Ramna Model Police Station.

173 BNP leaders and activists, including Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, were accused in the charge sheet filed in the court on January 29, 2020. 

After a long 7 years, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia met Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr. Zobaida Rahman after arriving in London for advanced treatment.

Tarique Rahman and Dr. Zobaida Rahman were present at London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday (January 8) to welcome Khaleda Zia.

The special plane carrying Khaleda Zia landed at Heathrow Airport at 2:58 pm Bangladesh time.

After monitoring her physical condition at the airport, Khaleda Zia may be admitted to a London clinic. An ambulance has also been kept ready for this, said Shamsuddin Didar, Press Wing Officer of the BNP Chairperson.

Earlier, the air ambulance carrying Begum Khaleda Zia departed from Shahjalal International Airport at 11:46 pm on Tuesday and went to Heathrow Airport via Doha, Qatar.

Members of the BNP Standing Committee bid farewell to Khaleda Zia at Shahjalal Airport. Present at the time were BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salauddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said that the people of Bangladesh did not take the issue of extending the Indian visa of the mass murderer Sheikh Hasina well.

He said this after meeting the families of four people killed in the July coup in the capital’s Gendaria on Wednesday (January 8) morning.

He said that by extending Sheikh Hasina’s visa, India is undervaluing their freedom and democracy.

Alleging that Sheikh Hasina’s close associates are involved in the printing business, Rizvi said that the Education Adviser made irresponsible comments about the distribution of books in the new year. In addition, he called for the trial of those who took up arms against the people and for all the establishments named after Sheikh Hasina’s friends to be named after martyrs.

Rizvi alleged that the government has violated the expectations of the people by increasing the prices of daily necessities on international prescriptions.

BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has left Dhaka for the UK for advanced treatment.

She left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11:10 pm on Tuesday (January 7). The vehicle carrying her reached the airport at 10:45 pm.

Earlier, she reached the airport at 10:48 pm. She was supposed to start her journey to London from Shahjalal International Airport at 10 pm in an A-319 special air ambulance, but she reached the airport almost an hour later than the scheduled time due to the large presence of leaders and activists on the road.

People from different walks of life, including BNP leaders and activists, gathered on both sides of the road to the airport from Gulshan to bid farewell to Khaleda Zia. They waved goodbye to the former prime minister.

This time, she will meet her son Tarique Rahman in London after seven and a half years.

If doctors in London recommend it, Khaleda Zia will be taken to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the United States. The BNP Chairperson's doctors could not provide information on when she can return home after the treatment.