Tension runs high among two rival political groups of Bangladeshi expatriates living in London over BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s UK visit.While BNP supporters are getting ready to welcome Khaleda on her arrival on Wednesday morning, Awami League activists are preparing to stage demonstrations carrying black flags.”There has been a clod war among the British Bangladeshi political camps over Khaleda’s tour,” according to a report ran by BBC Bangla.The report said the UK chapter of Awami League at a meeting on Monday decided to stage demonstrations and show her black flags wherever she will go and stay. UK AL general secretary Syed Sajidur Rahman Farroque told the BBC Bangla, “She (Khaleda) burnt people to death through torching buses during the recent anti-government movement. We’ll register our protest against it. We’ll show her black flags as she’s a fire terrorist.”According to a source, Awami League leaders and activists turned aggrieved as the BNP men had staged demonstrations during Prime Minister and AL president Sheikh Hasina’s recent London tour.So, this time they will try to take revenge on their rivals. But, UK chapter BNP president Abdul Malek warned that they will resist any move to harass Khaleda.”We won’t sit idle, if the Awami League does excesses against our leader. It (AL) should understand that the consequences may even turn personal,” he said. Malek said they had staged demonstrations against a prime minister, not against person Sheikh Hasina. “Khaleda Zia is not now the leader of the opposition, not even an MP.”However, BNP has so far kept Khaleda’s programmes in London secret. Even, many BNP leaders are not clear about when Khaleda exactly reaches London, the place where she will be staying and whether she will join any political activity there.Malek, however, confirmed that the BNP chief will not be staying in her eldest son Tarique Rahman’s residence. “She’ll be staying in hotels.” According to BNP insiders, Khaleda may stay in different places during her visit.Malek said, Khaleda is going to London mainly for her eye treatment. “It’ll be finalised after our leader’s arrival whether there will have any meeting (political programme). He said they have a plan to arrange a greeting-exchange programme among Khaleda and local BNP leaders and activists, local journalists and eminent members of the Bangladeshi community on the eid day.Khaleda Zia is scheduled to fly to London around 9:35pm on Tuesday for her eye treatment and celebrating Eid-ul-Azha there with her family members.Khaleda’s younger brother Shamim Eskander, his wife Kaniz Fatema and her personal secretary ABM Abdus Sattar will accompany her. 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 form 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 together of the Zia family members since 2008.Khaleda has been celebrating eid festival alone in the country since 2008 as her two sons and their family members had been staying abroad. However, Koko died in Malaysia on January 24 this year.A source close to Khaleda said she may not return home before September 30 and she is likely to visit some other European countries from the UK.
