British-Bangladeshi lawyer and scholar Barrister Mufassil Islam, who is a former classmate of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, has questioned the lavish lifestyle of the politician whose party is a key stakeholder of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Mufassil said that while Tarique Rahman and his wife, Dr Zobaida Rahman, do not have any legal source of income. But they live in a villa at 3 Cotswold Close in posh Kingston and own a ยฃ120,000 Range Rover, which was seen when Tarique went to The Dorchester to meet with Yunus and bargain for their share of power two weeks ago.
Dr Zobaida is not a general practitioner in London, and the coupleโs daughter, Barrister Zaima Rahman, obtained a law degree from Queen Mary University of London and later received her Bar-at-Law certification from Lincoln’s Inn in 2019.
Mufassil reported that many wealthy individuals also find it difficult to rent the villa in this upscale area. โWhere does this luxury come from? He has no business or job and has not been able to show any legitimate source of income. So, who is paying for this royal lifestyle?โ
Party sources said that Tarique Rahman has earned a huge sum of money by selling party posts and nominations in the 2018 election.
The much-awaited return
For many years, politicians and observers had been suggesting that Tarique Rahman should return to Bangladesh and do politics on the streets. After his mother’s imprisonment in 2018, the demand intensified. But he chose to stay in London and carry out political activities through virtual meetings.
Bangladeshi media reported that Tarique would return to the country any time soon. They are preparing a 32-katha duplex house in Gulshan for him.
After the assassination of General Ziaur Rahman on May 31, 1981, General HM Ershad allotted this house to his widow, Khaleda Zia. The house was officially registered in her name on June 5, when an adviser to the interim government handed over the documents.
Earlier, after the fall of the Awami League government, Khaleda Zia was freed from her house arrest on August 6. Since 2018, she had been serving a 17-year imprisonment in two corruption cases and was allowed to stay home since 2020 at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In January, Khaleda Zia went to London for medical checkups and stayed with his elder son, Tarique Rahman, at the Kingston villa before returning to Bangladesh in early May.
It is believed that she played a key role in minimising the rivalry between Yunus and Tarique over elections and other issues, prompting the chief adviser to fly to London and sit with the BNPโs de facto chief.
Earlier, the interim government managed to quash all the ongoing cases against Tarique and also obtained verdicts of sentences against him.
Before Yunus’ London tour, the government challenged his acquittal in the sensational August 21 grenade attack case. Observers argue that this was merely a ploy to give Yunus an advantage during the London meeting.
Mufassil recalled that from 2001 to 2006, Tarique Rahman became the shadow prime minister of the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance government. Although he entered politics through inheritance as the son of President Ziaur Rahman, he became known more for his political wisdom or public-facing leadership through corruption centered on the “Hawa Bhaban.”
This Hawa Bhaban became the invisible centre of state control, where allegations of bribery, extortion, recruitment, and even the purchase of judges surfaced.
โSeveral international organisations, including Transparency International, made clear allegations of corruption against Tarique Rahman. The US government even called him โsignificantly corruptโ and imposed a visa ban on him,โ Mufassil added.
Tareque Rahman, who was arrested in 2007 during the military-backed caretaker government for massive corruption, moved to Britain in 2008 on the pretext of medical treatment.
Mufassil said that while the partyโs grassroots leaders and activists were arrested, left their families, and lost their jobs, Tarique Rahman led a lavish life in London and did not make any sacrifices in the political struggle.
Tarique and his closest aides, Malek, Kawser, and Parvez Mallick, are not set to return to Bangladesh and turn Ganabhaban into another Hawa Bhaban. He has established a cult, Mufassil said, adding that he could not become a politician.
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