Who Is Jebu? Siberian member of Tarique Rahman’s family who returned to Bangladesh after 17 years and why it has sparked buzz

Tarique Rahman, Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) acting chairman, made a dramatic return to Dhaka Thursday after 17 years in exile Rahman arrived from London with his wife Zubaida Rahman, daughter Zaima Rahman, and their pet cat Jebu. Jebu, the fluffy Siberian pet of Tarique, arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday and soon became a talking point online. The BNP's verified Facebook page announced the cat's announced the arrival of Jebu and shared a photo with the caption, “Zebu has returned to the country." Jebu was adopted by Tarique Rahman’s daughter Zaima Rahman and has gained significant attention online in recent times. Jebu first captured public attention after a photograph of the Siberian cat staring intently at Tarique Rahman’s cellphone went viral, according to The Telegraph.

Tarique Rahman's cat steals spotlight

Several more photos and videos of Jebu have gone viral online, turning it into an online favourite among netizens, especially among young Bangladeshis and cat lovers. The craze is so intense that social media stickers featuring Jebu have also begun circulating

Jebu travelled on the same Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight as Tarique Rahman, his wife Zubaida Rahman and their daughter Zaima Rahman. The flight, BG 202, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:39 am after flying from London via Sylhet.


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The Siberian cat has become a surprising social media sensation in the run‑up to their homecoming. Earlier, Tarique Rahman shared pictures with Jebu on social media, which further amplified the cat’s popularity. Speaking to BBC Bangla about the attention, Tarique Rahman said, “The cat is my daughter's cat. Now, of course, it has become everyone's. We all adore it.”

Hours before Tarique Rahman's family's arrival in Dhaka, Jebu entered the digital spotlight with the launch of its own Facebook page. Described as light-hearted and satirical, the page was confirmed as official by Saimum Parvez, special assistant to the BNP chairperson’s foreign affairs committee and head of the party’s content generation team.

Jebu receives warm welcome

On Thursday, Tarique Rahman arrived in Bangladesh with his family and cat to rousing welcome, weeks before the country goes to parliamentary elections. Son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman had been living in exile in London since 2008 in connection with multiple corruption cases.

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In his first speech after landing, quoted by Bangladesh-based Prothom Alo, Rahman said, "Just as the people of this country achieved independence in 1971, people from all walks of life, all together, defended the independence and sovereignty of this country in 2024.." "Today, the people of Bangladesh want to regain their right to democracy," he said.

He added, "It is time for us all to build the country together. In this country, there are people from the hills, plains, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians. We want to build a safe Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, no matter who a woman, man, or child is, they should be able to leave their homes safely and return safely."