Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, a fervent advocate for press freedom and renowned for his fearless journalism, returned to Bangladesh from the US on Thursday after nearly a decade in exile.

He arrived at Dhaka airport on an Emirates Airlines flight. A large crowd, including many of his journalist colleagues, gathered at the airport to welcome him.

Mushfiq, renowned for his outspoken criticism of Sheikh Hasina's ousted authoritarian regime, is scheduled to return to the USA on 22 September.

A leader from the pro-BNP faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists announced that a reception will be held in his honour at the Jatiya Press Club at 3:00 pm on Friday to celebrate his return.

Currently based in Washington DC, Ansarey continues his work as the White House and United Nations correspondent for JustNewsBD. He also serves as the Executive Director of the human rights organisation Right to Freedom and the Executive Editor of South Asia Perspectives, a foreign policy magazine.