After 17 years abroad, Zubaida Rahman, wife of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, has returned to the country. She is expected to reside at her father’s residence, known as “Mahbub Bhaban,” located in the Dhanmondi area of the capital.

Preparations for her arrival were completed in advance, including thorough cleaning of the premises and the installation of CCTV cameras. Several measures have also been taken to ensure her overall security during her stay.

Zubaida Rahman arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday, May 6, alongside her mother-in-law, BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who returned from London following four months of medical treatment. Also accompanying them was Syeda Sharmila Rahman, the widow of the late Arafat Rahman Koko. The Qatar Emir’s special air ambulance carrying them landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:42 a.m.

Zubaida Rahman’s return comes after years of living in exile, following the filing of a corruption case against her, her husband Tarique Rahman, and her mother Iqbal Mand Banu by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on September 11, 2008. The case was lodged at the Kafrul Police Station in Dhaka on charges of possessing illegal wealth. In 2023, a Dhaka court sentenced Zubaida Rahman to three years in prison and fined her 3.5 million Bangladeshi taka. However, the verdict was stayed on August 5, 2024, following the political transformation triggered by a student-led mass uprising.

Zubaida Rahman is a physician by profession. She graduated with an MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College and later earned a Master’s in Medicine from Imperial College in London. In 1995, she joined the government health service after topping the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination for medical professionals. However, after availing of an educational leave in 2008 and extending it further, she failed to return and resume her post, which led the Ministry of Health to terminate her employment.

Born in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh, Zubaida Rahman is the daughter of the late Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali, who served as the Chief of Naval Staff under President Ziaur Rahman’s regime. Mahbub Ali later held cabinet positions as Minister of Communications and Minister of Agriculture during the rule of President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Zubaida is also the niece of General M.A.G. Osmani, the Commander-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

She married Tarique Rahman on February 3, 1994, marking the beginning of her association with one of the country's most prominent political families. Her return to Bangladesh has drawn significant attention amidst the evolving political landscape and is being closely watched by both political observers and party supporters.