Jebu, the fluffy Siberian pet cat of Tarique Rahman’s family, arrived in Bangladesh from London on Thursday and immediately became a talking point online. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s verified Facebook
page announced the cat’s arrival shortly after noon, sharing a photo with the caption, “Zebu has returned to the country.”
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.
Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh after more than 17 years in exile. To mark the occasion, the BNP organised a mass reception at the 300-foot area of Purbachal, where a large number of party leaders and workers gathered. From the airport, he was scheduled to head straight to the reception venue. After the public event, he was set to visit his mother, BNP chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who is currently receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital.
In recent months, Jebu has drawn notable attention on social media, particularly among young Bangladeshi nationals and cat lovers. The cat first went viral after a photograph showed it staring intently at Tarique Rahman’s cellphone, followed by more photos and videos that turned the pet into an online favourite, India Today reported.
Tarique Rahman has also shared pictures with Jebu on social media. Speaking to BBC Bangla about the attention, he said, “The cat is my daughter’s cat. Now, of course, it has become everyone’s. We all adore it.”
Hours before the 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.
