The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has sought special security arrangements for Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of the party’s acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, citing concerns over her safety during her upcoming return to Bangladesh alongside her mother-in-law, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
According to a letter dated April 30 that surfaced on Friday, the party has formally requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure enhanced protection for Dr. Zubaida.
Begum Khaleda Zia is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on May 5 after undergoing medical treatment in London for nearly four months. She will be accompanied on the return flight by her daughter-in-law Dr. Zubaida Rahman.
Party sources confirmed that the BNP Chairperson’s office submitted the letter, which was signed by Khaleda Zia’s personal secretary, ABM Abdus Sattar, a former Secretary of the government.
The letter states that upon her arrival in Dhaka, Dr. Zubaida Rahman will reside at her late father’s home in Dhanmondi. It highlights that, as a member of the Zia family and the spouse of Tarique Rahman, she may face potential security threats.
In light of this, the BNP has requested specific measures, including the assignment of a personal gunman, vehicular police escort, a dedicated guard post at her residence, and the installation of a security archway at the property.
Dr. Zubaida Rahman is the daughter of the late Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali, a former Chief of the Bangladesh Navy and a minister during the General Ershad regime. She is also the niece of General M.A.G. Osmani, commander-in-chief of Bangladesh’s Liberation Forces in 1971.
She married Tarique Rahman on February 3, 1994, at a time when Begum Zia was serving as Prime Minister. The then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina attended the wedding reception.
In 1995, Dr. Rahman joined the BCS health cadre. She relocated to London in 2008 along with her husband after Tarique Rahman was compelled to leave the country during the military-backed caretaker government of 1/11.
Senior police officials have indicated that a decision regarding her security arrangements may be made shortly.
Meanwhile, preparations for Khaleda Zia’s return have been finalised, including her transport arrangements. She will be received in a newly acquired black Toyota Crown equipped with special protection systems.
Khaleda Zia had departed for the United Kingdom on January 7 aboard a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar for advanced medical treatment.