Zubaida Rahman () is a Bangladeshi physician, and the wife of politician Tarique Rahman.

Personal life

''Zubaida Khan'' was born on 18 May 1972 in

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

, she is the daughter of

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Mahbub Ali Khan Mahbub Ali Khan (; 3 November 1934 – 6 August 1984) was a Bangladesh Navy rear admiral and the Chief of the Naval Staff (Bangladesh), chief of naval staff from 1979 until his death in 1984. He is known for his heroic actions for his country. ...

, Chief of the Naval Staff of Bangladesh during the rule of the government of Ziaur Rahman. He served as the Minister of Communications and Agriculture in the government of Hussain Muhammad Ershad. She descended from an Afghan chieftain who settled in

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

during Mughal rule. General M. A. G. Osmani is the uncle of Zubaida Rahman, the commander-in-chief of Bangladesh's war of independence. She is the cousin of Amnesty International's former Secretary General

Irene Khan Irene Zubaida Khan (; born 24 December 1956) is a Bangladeshi British lawyer and human rights activist. She is serving as the United Nations Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion. She previously served as the seventh Secreta ...

. Zobaida married Tarique Rahman in 3 February 1994. After two years, she joined the health cadre of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) in 1995. After Tarique's release from prison in 2008, she took a study leave and went to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

with Tarique. Later, after the fall of the Hasina government, she returned to the Bangladesh in May 2025.

Career

Zobaida studied medicine from Imperial College London and completed her MSc with record marks and gold medal. She joined the public service as a doctor in 1995 after topping the Doctors Civil Service (BCS) examination. Zobaida had married Tarek two years earlier. The Awami League government cancelled her job in September 2014. In May 2025, after returning from a 17-year exile, she is rumored to be reinstated in her position in the government service. Zia family members and two top leaders of BNP were convicted in the corruption case, although Zobaida Rahman's leadership of the party was publicized, but she never participated in the National Assembly elections or was seen in direct politics. In 2016, Sheikh Hasina praised Zubaida Rahman, endorsing her potential as a promising political figure.

Cases and controversies

In 2007, Rahman received a three-year prison term in connection with a corruption case initiated by the Anti Corruption Commission. In October 2024, her jail term was suspended. On May 28, 2025, she was acquitted of the charges after being proven innocent in the case.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rahman, Zubaida Living people 1972 births Majumder–Zia family Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians Spouses of Bangladeshi politicians Dhaka Medical College alumni Alumni of Imperial College School of Medicine 21st-century Bangladeshi physicians Bangladeshi civil servants Bangladeshi women physicians