Zaima pledges to engage with people to help rebuild Bangladesh

Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and granddaughter of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, today (23 December) said she hopes to contribute to rebuilding Bangladesh and understand the country better by connecting directly with people.

She made the remarks in a personal Facebook post in which she shared reflections on her family, roots and journey ahead of her return to Bangladesh.

In the post, Zaima recalled her childhood memories with her grandmother, fondly calling her 'Dadu', and described Khaleda Zia as a caring and proud family figure despite carrying the responsibilities of leading the nation.

"One of my most cherished memories of my Dadu captures her fiercely loving and loyal matriarchal role in our family. When I was around eleven, our high school team won a football tournament. My mother took me straight to Dadu's office so that I could show her my medal and tell her about it myself. As I animatedly recounted my goalkeeping 'heroics', I was keenly aware of how attentive and proud she was. So much so that she would share that childhood story with others," Zaima said.

She wrote that while millions knew Khaleda Zia as the Prime Minister, to her and her cousins she was first a loving grandmother who always made time for her family and celebrated their small achievements.

Zaima said those moments became her first lessons in leadership, humility, sincerity and the importance of listening to others.

'Seventeen years away from Bangladesh have been transformative, but I never forgot to tend to and cultivate my roots. Why? Because we are shaped by what we anchor ourselves to our culture, community, and identity. Like many seconds and third generation Bangladeshis abroad, I have lived in more than one world. London grounded me and gave me a global perspective, but Bangladesh always remained my focus," she said.

Zaima also shared her experience of studying and practising law, saying that working closely with people taught her empathy, integrity and the importance of understanding others, especially those who feel unheard by the justice system.

Tarique's only daughter said she never met her grandfather and late President Ziaur Rahman but grew up learning about his integrity and patriotism, which she said had been carried forward by her grandmother and father.

Referring to the mass uprising and the period following 5 August, she said she mostly remained in the background, offering support where she could and trying to ease the burden on her family through small but meaningful actions.

Expressing her feelings about returning home, Zaima said she wants to stand beside her grandmother and support her father during the current campaign period.

"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. I want to rediscover my homeland through my own eyes and lived experiences, to connect with people face to face, because that is the sincerest way to understand another's perspective, just as I have been taught.

Acknowledging public curiosity and expectations surrounding her family, Zaima said she feels that weight herself but sees it as part of her personal journey. "So, this is my journey, told in my own way," she wrote, adding that if it resonates with others, she hopes they can walk that journey together.

Zaima is scheduled to return to Bangladesh with her father Tarique Rahman on Thursday (25 December), ending their 17-year exile abroad, as they have been living in London since September 2008.