Dr. Zubaida Rahman, wife of BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, is set to get back her previous government job after around 13 years as the authorities are considering to reappoint her following all procedures, according to high-level sources at the health ministry.
In 2013, she was terminated from the job as per Bangladesh Service Rules as she did not join office upon expiry of study leave.
According to the ministry sources, Zubaida completed her MBBS from Dhaka Medical College and later obtained an MSc in medicine from Imperial College in London.
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She secured the first position in the BCS (Health) exam and joined government service as a physician in 1995. In 2008, she moved to London for higher education on leave.
As she failed to return within the stipulated time and as per leave regulations, the government was bound to terminate her.
A high-ranking official from the ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity, told UNB that the Health Service Division under the instruction from the senior secretary, is reviewing her file in the Discipline Section to investigate the reasons behind her dismissal.
When asked about the possible outcome, the official replied, "We are moving forward positively on this issue because the then government could have allowed her to continue in service. There are precedents."
The sources also said that questions have been raised about the process of Dr. Zubaida's dismissal, specifically the delay in issuing the cancellation of her leave and not informing her in due time.
Moreover, political instability and decisions made by the then government prevented her from returning to the country and joining her post.
The ministry acknowledges that the previous government may have treated her unfairly under those circumstances. Currently, the ministry is working on restoring her position as a doctor.
After 17 years of exile in London, she returned to the country on May 6 accompanying her mother-in-law Khaleda Zia.
It was reported that following the arrest of Tarique Rahman during the One-Eleven period, Dr. Zubaida took leave to seek advanced treatment for her ailing husband in the UK in September 2008.
On her appeal, the government granted her leave until October 10, 2010.
Although she later applied for the extension of the leave several times, the then government kept it unchanged (October 10 of that year).
Further requests for two additional one-year extensions were rejected by the government and as a result, her continuous absence from her post for five years led to the termination of her employment.