DHAKA, May 06 (V7N) – Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, visited her ailing mother, Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, at a hospital in the Panthapath area of Dhaka on Tuesday evening.

Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, a recipient of the Swadhinata Padak (Independence Award) for her social work, has been receiving treatment at the private hospital since May 2nd, according to BNP media cell member Atiqur Rahman Ruman.

Ruman stated that Zubaida Rahman was accompanied by family members and appeared "very excited" to see her mother. She presented her mother with a bouquet of flowers.

This visit marks the first time Zubaida Rahman has been able to see her mother in person in 17 years, as she has been residing abroad with her husband, Tarique Rahman, since September 11, 2008.

Zubaida Rahman returned to Bangladesh today alongside her mother-in-law, BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, who had been in London for medical treatment since early January.

Following the political transition known as "one-eleven" in 2007, Tarique Rahman was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC also filed a case against Tarique Rahman, Zubaida Rahman, and Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu at Kafrul Police Station in Dhaka. In that case, a Dhaka court sentenced Zubaida Rahman to three years of imprisonment and a fine of Tk 3.5 million.

Syeda Iqbal Mand Banu, a distinguished social worker and the wife of the late Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan, former Chief of the Bangladesh Navy, has been suffering from various age-related health issues for an extended period. She is known for her work with underprivileged children through the 'Suravi Foundation,' for which she was awarded the Swadhinata Padak in 1995.

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