Meet Jebu, Tarique Rahman’s Siberian cat who stole the spotlight after arriving in Bangladesh

After spending 17 years abroad in self-exile, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman landed in Dhaka on December 25 (Thursday) amid heavy security and fanfare. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s acting chairman received a rousing welcome as he touched down in the country.   

However, Rahman wasn’t the sole entity to receive all the attention. His much-admired pet cat, Jebu, also received a lot of attention, with it becoming quite a social media sensation.   

Jebu, Rahman’s Siberian cat 

Jebu is a fluffy Siberian pet cat adopted by Tarique Rahman’s daughter, Zaima Rahman. She first caught the attention of cat lovers across the world a few months back when an image showing Jebu staring intently at Tarique’s phone went viral. Since then, more photos and videos have followed, turning the pet feline into a social media favourite.   

Ahead of Rahman’s return to Dhaka, the popularity of Jebu soared so much that a Facebook page was also created in the feline’s honour. The special assistant to the BNP chairperson’s foreign affairs committee and head of the party’s content generation team, Saimum Parvez, confirmed the page as official, saying it was light-hearted and satirical.  

In April, Rahman even shared pictures of himself and his pet cat online, which further amplified the pet’s popularity. 

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

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As the cat landed in Bangladesh, the Facebook page in her honour read: “Jebu has returned to the country.” 

Earlier, speaking to BBC Bangla about the family’s pet cat, Tarique said: “The cat is my daughter’s. Now, of course, it has become everyone’s. We all adore it.” 

Other leaders and their pets 

Rahman isn’t the only politician to have a pet cat. Over the years and across the globe, many politicians and world leaders have pets that have gained popularity.   

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has “first cat” Bobby Kertanegara, who is entitled to receive state facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also quite fond of animals; he has four dogs as pets — Pasha, a Sarplaninac and Verni, an Alabi, were gifts from the presidents of Serbia and Turkmenistan. There’s also Yume, an Akita, and Buffy, a Bulgarian Shepherd. These were gifted to him by Japan’s Akita Prefecture and Bulgaria, respectively.   

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his family also have two cats — Jojo and Prince — as pets. While Jojo is a rescue cat, Prince is a Siberian kitten that joined them last year.   

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French President Emmanuel Macron also has a pet dog as his constant companion. The black Labrador Retriever-Griffon dog, named Nemo, was born in southern France in 2015, where he was soon abandoned. He was living as a shelter dog in 2017 when he was adopted by Macron’s wife. 

Tarique’s return to Bangladesh 

On December 25, Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh after 17 years of being in London and was welcomed with much zeal and enthusiasm. His party even organised a mass reception at the 300-feet area in Purbachal, on the outskirts of the capital.   

At the gathering, Tarique delivered a powerful message to his supporters which was also a scathing criticism of Sheikh Hasina’s “dictatorship”. He warned against violence by “hegemonic powers” and unveiled his electoral campaign. 

He even invoked Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. “As a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, I want to say: I have a plan for the people of my country, for my country,” he said. 

Rahman added that his plan is designed to promote national development and enhance the lives of ordinary citizens. “Today, this plan is for the benefit of the people of the country, for the development of the country, for changing the fate of the people of the country.”

The implementation of this plan, he said, would require the cooperation of citizens “who represent the power of democracy.” 

 With inputs from agencies