Who Is Zaima Rahman? Tarique Rahman’s Daughter Steps Into Public View As BNP Leader Returns Home

Last Updated:December 27, 2025, 20:11 IST

A UK-trained barrister, Zaima Rahman represents a new face for the BNP at a time when the party is seeking to rebuild its image.

Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman (Credits: X)

Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh ist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman, has entered the public spotlight as her family returned to Bangladesh after 17 years in exile. Her return, along with her father, has revived memories of three generations of the Rahman family and sparked discussion about her possible role in Bangladesh’s politics.

Days before the family’s return from London, Zaima shared a Facebook post about identity and belonging.

“I never forgot to tend to and cultivate my roots," she wrote, recalling her bond with her grandmother and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whom she fondly called “Dadu". The post struck a chord as the Rahmans prepared to return home after nearly two decades abroad.

As large crowds gathered on the streets of Dhaka to welcome Tarique Rahman on Thursday, Zaima travelled with her mother, Zubaida Rahman, to the family residence at 196 Gulshan Avenue.

While the political focus remained on Tarique Rahman, images from the journey and their arrival drew attention to Zaima, marking her understated entry into the national political conversation.

Who Is Zaima Rahman?

A UK-trained barrister, Zaima Rahman represents a new face for the BNP at a time when the party is seeking to rebuild its image.

The BNP has long struggled with allegations of corruption and abuse of power, particularly during the period when Tarique Rahman was linked to Hawa Bhaban, an informal power centre during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami coalition government.

With national elections scheduled for February 2026, the party is attempting to reach younger voters, and Zaima’s presence is being viewed by many as part of that effort.

Zaima is the only daughter of Tarique Rahman and the granddaughter of two towering figures in Bangladesh’s political history — Khaleda Zia and the late President Ziaur Rahman. She has spent most of the last 17 years in the United Kingdom, building her career in law. Unlike other members of political families, she has not held any party post or contested elections, and has largely stayed away from active politics.

She first appeared in the public eye as a child during the 2001 general elections, when she accompanied Khaleda Zia to a polling booth.

Zaima Rahman’s FB Post About Childhood Memory

In a recent post, she recalled another childhood memory involving her grandmother after winning a school football tournament. “When I was around eleven, our high school team won a football tournament… As I animatedly recounted my goalkeeping ‘heroics’, I was keenly aware of how attentive and proud she was," she wrote.

Zaima gained wider attention in 2021 after a senior Awami League leader made derogatory remarks about her, an episode that later led to his resignation. Her political visibility increased after the July student-led movement, when she began accompanying her father at international and party events, including representing him at the Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC.

Explaining her return, Zaima said she wants to contribute to the country’s future. “I hope to give back to my country in whatever ways I can. I want to see Bangladesh be rebuilt and thrive, as it should," she wrote, adding that she wants to reconnect with people directly and understand their realities.

She has not announced any plan to contest elections or assume a formal BNP role. However, as Bangladesh enters a tense and uncertain election season, her growing presence suggests she may play a more visible part in the party’s future.

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