Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia reached in London on Wednesday.

A regular flight of Emirates Airlines carrying Khaleda Zia landed at the Heathrow Airport at Bangladesh time 12:55pm.

Earlier, Khaleda Zia left Dhaka for London at about 9:45pm on Tuesday for her eye treatment and celebrating Eid-ul-Azha there with her family members.  

BNP chairperson’s office media wing officer Shairul Kabir Khan said BNP vice chairman Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP leader Tabith Awal, chairperson’s personal secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, and domestic held Fatema Begum are accompanying Khaleda Zia during her London tour.

Senior BNP leaders, including party standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, joint secretary general M Shahjahan, BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon, Jubo Dal president Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Dhaka city unit BNP member secretary Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, saw her off at the airport.

The emirate flight had a stopover for two hours in Dubai at midnight.

This is her second trip to London since she left office in 2007 as she visited the UK in 2011 to meet Tarique Rahman while returning home from the USA. Tarique has been living in the UK since September, 2008.

Party sources said Koko’s wife and two daughters are also scheduled to go to London to celebrate the eid with other family members, including Khaleda.

This will be the first reunion and celebration of any eid festival of the Zia family members together since 2008.

Khaleda has been celebrating Eid festivals alone in the country since 2008 as her two sons and their family members had been staying abroad. However, Koko died in Malaysia on 24 January this year.

Earlier on Sunday night, Khaleda had a meeting with her party’s senior leaders at her Gulshan office ahead of the London visit.

Party officials aid BNP joint secretary general M Shahjahan will look after the party’s organisational activities in coordination with BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy during the party chief’s stay in London.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is also now in the USA for medical treatment.

Khaleda’s visit is considered to be a significant one for the party, as she is expected to discuss crucial political issues with her son Tarique, also the party’s second-in-command.

According to BNP insiders, Khaleda and Tarique will elaborately discuss the party’s next course of action to invigorate its demoralised leaders and activists and bring dynamism in its organisational activities.

As her party’s overhaul process is going on, Khaleda would elicit Tarique’s opinion on the formation of its standing committee, executive body and committees of its associate bodies and amendment to party’s constitution and selecting its secretary general.

A source close to Khaleda said she may not return home before 30 September as she is likely to visit some other European countries, too.