Staff Correspondent

A biography of late former prime minister and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, written by late journalist Mahfuz Ullah, has been included in the collection of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the United Nations headquarters in New York, according to Golam Farook Shaheen, Special Assistant to the Foreign Affairs Advisory Committee of BNP Chairman.

Titled Begum Khaleda Zia: Her Life, Her Story, the English-language biography was handed over to the UN library in 2022. The library formally confirmed its acceptance in a letter dated December 5, 2022, Shaheen said.

The book was published by The Universal Academy in 2018 and chronicles Khaleda Zia's political journey and various events in her life. Contemporary reports on its publication described it as a political biography of the former prime minister.

On September 25 this year, Shaheen handed over the UN's acceptance letter and related document to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in New York.

The presentation took place during a courtesy meeting with leaders of the US unit of BNP and its affiliated and associate organisations after the conclusion of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Shaheen also handed over a copy of the book to Tarique Rahman. According to Shaheen, the prime minister thanked him for the initiative and encouraged him to continue his activities for the party.

In the December 5, 2022 letter, Janine Picard, Gifts Librarian at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and an official of the Outreach Division of the UN Department of Global Communications, informed Shaheen that the publication would be a valuable addition to the library's collection.

The letter also expressed appreciation for Shaheen's initiative and sincerity in donating the book, according to a copy of the document cited by Shaheen.

Shaheen said he did not publicise the book's acceptance at the time because of what he described as a highly sensitive political environment in Bangladesh.

He said that, in 2022, BNP leaders and supporters in the United States were campaigning for Khaleda Zia's release, withdrawal of cases against her and access to medical treatment, as well as for withdrawal of cases against Tarique Rahman.

“I did not make the matter public at that time because of the political risks,” Shaheen said, adding that he feared repercussions at his ancestral home.

Shaheen said he took the initiative to donate the book to the UN library and received assistance from then foreign affairs-related officials and BNP Executive Committee International Affairs Secretary Md Anwar Hossain Khokon.

He said the book's inclusion in the UN library would provide researchers studying Khaleda Zia and Bangladesh's political history with access to a source documenting her life and political career.

The Dag Hammarskjöld Library serves as a repository for UN documents and publications on international affairs and global issues. Its collection is used by researchers, diplomats, UN officials and others studying international relations.

The book itself is a substantial English-language biography. Bibliographic records list Mahfuz Ullah as the author and The Universal Academy as its publisher.

Shaheen said he considered the preservation of the book at the UN headquarters significant in the context of documenting Bangladesh's political history.

He also expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for allowing him to hand over the UN's acknowledgement concerning the book to Tarique Rahman, the son of Khaleda Zia.