Zia Family’s Politics (Part 2) || Khaleda rehabilitated her own siblings in BNP, excluding Zia’s brothers

Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh Nationalist Party—BNP. The party’s political foundation is named after its founder, one of the sector commanders of the Liberation War and former President Ziaur Rahman. Yet, in the party’s more than four decades of political history, there has been virtually no political space created for Ziaur Rahman’s brothers or their family members. In contrast, the brothers and sisters of Zia’s wife and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia have built a strong position within the party and remain actively involved in politics—some directly in party positions, some from close quarters with the center of power.

Ziaur Rahman’s family: A chapter outside politics

Ziaur Rahman was the second of five sons of his parents. He had no sisters. Of the five sons of his father Mansur Rahman and mother Jahanara Khatun alias Rani, Zia had one elder brother and three younger brothers. The youngest of them, Ahmed Kamal, lived for a long time, but he too never reached an important or institutional position in BNP politics. After retiring from the post of GM of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation in 2006, he lived alone in the Basabo area of ​​Dhaka.

On September 2, 2016, Ahmed Kamal clearly stated that he did not want to do politics and was not physically able to do so. At that time, there were rumors about forming a new political party, but he later denied it. When asked for his opinion on the occasion of the BNP’s founding anniversary, he said, “I am not a party member. BNP must be held firmly – I have no power to say more than that.”

Ahmed Kamal passed away on November 23, 2017. With his death, the chapter of Ziaur Rahman’s brothers practically became history.

The same is true for Zia’s other brothers. The elder brother, Rezaur Rahman, went abroad after serving in the navy. The third brother, Mizanur Rahman, was a banker; his family lives permanently in London. Another brother, Khalilur Rahman, was a pharmacist; his family lives in the United States. The contact between Zia’s family members in the country and these families was also very limited.

Khaleda Zia’s family: Influential presence in BNP

On the other hand, Khaleda Zia’s family was and is visibly active in BNP politics. Khaleda Zia herself served as Prime Minister three times and as BNP Chairperson for a long time. During her rule and party leadership, a section of her siblings became directly or indirectly involved in politics.

Khaleda Zia’s brother Syed Iskander was a prominent and influential figure in BNP politics. He was accused of using party influence to gain benefits. Family members of Khaleda Zia’s sisters have also been seen to be active in BNP politics – through party positions, nominations or close proximity to policy-making circles.

According to political analysts, a family power circle has long been formed within the BNP, where there was no room for Ziaur Rahman’s blood brothers, but the door was relatively open for Khaleda Zia’s relatives.

Ideal vs. Reality

Ziaur Rahman wanted to keep his family members away from politics during his lifetime, his younger brother Ahmed Kamal himself said. However, in reality, Zia’s brothers’ families have remained almost invisible in BNP’s power and politics, while Khaleda Zia’s family has established a strong position within the party.

This contradiction has sparked discussions within the BNP at various times. Several senior leaders of the party, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Although the BNP is an ideological party, in reality it has not been able to break away from family-centered politics.”

In the BNP, which was founded in the name of Ziaur Rahman, his brothers and their families have remained outside politics—either voluntarily or due to reality. However, Khaleda Zia’s siblings have been rehabilitated in the party’s politics and have played an influential role. This reality has become a clear reflection of the BNP’s family-based politics, which once again brings to the fore the gap between ideals and reality within the party.