Dhaka: Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, is set to meet her ailing mother, Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, today. Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu has been undergoing treatment at a city hospital since May 2.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Zubaida Rahman had been residing abroad with her husband for 17 years and had not seen her mother during this period. Her return to her homeland was facilitated by a special air ambulance, which she traveled on alongside her mother-in-law, BNP Chairperson and three-time Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
Zubaida Rahman left Bangladesh on September 11, 2008, with Tarique Rahman following a political shift during the one-eleven period. Shortly after, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against her, Tarique Rahman, and Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu for acquiring assets beyond known income sources. Zubaida was sentenced, in absentia, to a three-year imprisonment and fined Taka 3.5 million by a Dhaka court.
Atiqur Rahman Ruman, convener of Amra BNP Paribar, noted that Zubaida’s mother became ill on May 2, leading to her hospital admission. Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, a distinguished social worker and widow of former Bangladesh Navy chief Rear Admiral (Late) Mahbub Ali Khan, has been facing age-related health issues. She has made significant contributions to the welfare of underprivileged children through the Suravi Foundation, earning her the Swadhinata Padak in 1995.