BNP’s acting chairman Tareque Rahman is set to move into a residence at 196 Avenue in Gulshan, Dhaka, upon his return to the country. The two-storey white house comes equipped with modern amenities including three bedrooms, drawing, dining, and living rooms, along with a swimming pool.
The property, built on 1.5 bighas of land during Justice Abdus Sattar’s government, was originally allocated to Khaleda Zia. Although the house has been under her control for years, the official registration (namjari) was only completed recently. On June 4, the interim government officially handed over the property documents to Khaleda Zia.
Previously, the house had been rented to the CEO of multinational company British American Tobacco, who vacated it six months ago. Since then, it has undergone renovations to make it suitable for Tareque Rahman’s residence. According to sources, the house is now fully ready for occupancy.
Party insiders have indicated that Tareque Rahman, who has been living in London for the past 17 years, will return once the date for the upcoming national election is finalized.
Located at the far end of Avenue in Gulshan-2, the property was observed on Tuesday to be well-maintained and elegantly arranged. Tareque’s wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, also visited and inspected the house before leaving for London. In addition to the main building and swimming pool, the compound features ample open space. It is adjacent to “Firoza,” the residence where Khaleda Zia currently lives.
Aside from this Gulshan property, Khaleda Zia was also allotted another house in 1981 by then-president Hussain Muhammad Ershad. That house, built on approximately 9 bighas (2.72 acres) of land in the Dhaka cantonment area, was later reclaimed by the government. In 2010, she was evicted from the cantonment house via a court order and temporarily stayed at her brother Shamim Eskander’s residence. She moved into “Firoza” on April 21, 2012.
Tareque Rahman was arrested on March 7, 2007, during the military-backed caretaker government period. He was granted bail on September 3, 2008, and left for London with his family on September 11 that year for medical treatment. Since then, he has remained in London. In February 2018, following Khaleda Zia’s imprisonment, Tareque was named BNP’s acting chairman.