Sheikh Shaira Sharmin, the wife of Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partha, was prevented from boarding a flight to Thailand on Tuesday.
According to sources from airport police, immigration authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport stopped her from travelling, despite her having checked in for Thai Airways flight TG322, which was scheduled to depart at 1:35pm.
Shaira Sharmin is the daughter of Sheikh Helal Uddin, a nephew of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This places her within the extended Sheikh family, which held significant political influence in the country for decades.
She is also the sister of Sheikh Tonmoy, who served as Members of Parliament on Awami League ticket.
Sheikh Helal, a prominent figure in the Awami League, was elected as a Member of Parliament from the Bagerhat-1 constituency, contesting under the party’s electoral symbol, the ‘boat’.
His son, Sheikh Tonmoy, was similarly elected from Bagerhat-2.
The Sheikh family’s political legacy came under intense scrutiny following recent political upheavals, particularly after the fall of the Awami League government in the wake of the July uprising last year.
While it remains unclear whether Shaira Sharmin’s travel restriction is directly linked to this political shift, her close familial ties to the deposed ruling family have drawn significant attention.
Authorities have not officially disclosed the reason for preventing her departure.