Dr. Zubaida Rahman, the wife of BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, is set to regain her government position in the health sector after more than 17 years. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare confirmed that formal orders for her reinstatement are expected within the next couple of days, pending procedural completion.
Joint Secretary of the Health Ministry's Healthcare Division, AKM Fazlul Haque, stated that Dr. Zubaida returned to Bangladesh on Tuesday and that her reinstatement process is underway. “The proposal is being processed, and once all formalities are complete, an official order will be issued,” he told reporters.
A former top-ranked candidate in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) exam for doctors, Dr. Zubaida joined government service in 1995. She holds an MBBS from Dhaka Medical College and a Master's degree in Medicine from Imperial College London. She went to the UK on approved educational leave in 2008, but after her request for an extended leave was denied, she was dismissed in 2013 for prolonged unauthorized absence.
Her absence was attributed to political instability and pressures during the tenure of the then Awami League government. With a changing political climate, her return to public service marks a significant shift.
Dr. Zubaida arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday morning accompanied by her mother-in-law, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. She is currently residing at her father’s residence, Mahbub Bhaban, on Road No. 5 in Dhanmondi, where special security arrangements have been implemented.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
