February 27, 2026, 10:16 pm
Minto Road is an elite and secure area of the capital Dhaka. The bungalows of high-ranking government officials and the residences of ministers are lined up along the road. Although most of the buildings here are occupied and people are moving around, house number 29 is very quiet. This red, two-story building built during the British era on two and a half acres of land is designated for the opposition leader of the parliament. But after the then opposition leader, the late Begum Khaleda Zia, left this building in 2001, no other leader has moved here in the last 25 years.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is going to move into the state guest house Jamuna located in Mantripara. However, no decision has been made yet on whether opposition leader Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman will stay in the house allotted to him. If he moves here, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader will live close by.
Jamaat party sources say that the party’s Ameer currently lives at his Bashundhara residence. It is unlikely that he will move to the residence designated for the opposition leader.
However, even though a decision has not been made regarding the residence of the opposition leader, the Public Works Department has asked the concerned parties to prepare the house as soon as possible. Accordingly, work is underway.
The building has lost its former beauty as it has been vacant for more than two decades. Since it has been vacant for a long time, employees of various government departments living nearby are cultivating various types of vegetables in the open space of the building. Some are also raising chickens.
When asked about the renovation of the building, an official from the Public Works Department said, “The interior work of the house is largely finished. Exterior renovation work is underway. It is not known whether the opposition leader will rise or not. However, instructions have been given to keep the building ready. The entire preparation will take some time.”
Jamuna will be renovated if Dr. Yunus leaves
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has chosen the state guest house Jamuna as the prime minister’s official residence. The building on Hare Road in the capital was selected considering the security of the head of government and the convenience of travel to the secretariat and offices.
According to sources in the Government Housing Department, Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the recently departed interim government, is currently staying in Jamuna. He is expected to vacate the residence next Friday or Saturday.
Public Works Department Chief Engineer Md. Khalequzzaman Chowdhury said the Prime Minister has expressed her intention to stay in Jamuna. The renovation work will begin immediately after the former Chief Advisor leaves the building and the Prime Minister will move there once it is completed.
It is learnt that the Prime Minister is currently conducting official activities from his Gulshan residence. However, it has been informed that he intends to organize the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr greetings and Ramadan Iftar program at Jamuna. In this way, the renovation of Jamuna will be completed quickly after Dr. Yunus leaves.
The political landscape has changed after the recently concluded 13th National Parliament elections. The BNP alliance has formed the government with 212 seats. On the other hand, the main opposition party with 77 seats is the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. The opposition leader has become Dr. Shafiqur Rahman. The future of the house depends on whether he is interested in living in this government building or not.
Before and after the election, Jamaat had announced that its MPs would not take duty-free cars and plots. However, this building on Minto Road is the official residence designated for the opposition leader.
House number 29 on Minto Road is considered more suitable than the house in Bashundhara for security reasons. To the west of the bungalow are the residences of the Chief Election Commissioner, BTCL Chairman and a judge. Next to it is the state guest house Jamuna. Dr. Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government, is currently living there. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will soon move there.
In addition, the residences of the DMP Police Commissioner and a judge are located on the eastern side of the building. To the north are the residences of the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary, Inspector General of Police, Dhaka Divisional Commissioner, DMP Commissioner, a judge and Dhaka Deputy Commissioner. A short distance away is the office of the DMP’s Intelligence Department.
No one has moved into house number 29 in two decades.
The two-story red government building at 29 Minto Road is reserved for the opposition leader. However, no one has lived there as the opposition leader in the last 25 years. The building was last occupied by the late Begum Khaleda Zia. No one has moved in since she left it in 2001.
According to information, after the 10th parliamentary election in 2014, then opposition leader Jatiya Party’s Raushan Ershad wrote a letter to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works requesting allocation of the house. However, the house was not allocated in his name.
After the 11th National Parliament election in 2018, Jatiya Party Chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad applied for the allotment of the house. Although the house was allotted in his name at that time, he did not move in.
After the 12th National Parliament elections held on January 7, 2024, opposition leader GM Quader also applied for the allocation of the house. The building was renovated at that time, considering that he could move in. But in the end, he did not move out .
For example, the residence of the opposition leader
The area around the house has become a forest due to long absence from life. The paint inside the building has peeled off, and plaster has fallen off in some places. According to the Public Works Department, there are six rooms and four washrooms on the ground floor and four rooms and four washrooms on the second floor.
There is no furniture inside. Furniture will be provided as per the needs of the opposition leader when he takes office. New tiles and commodes have been installed as part of the preparations.
Of the three employees assigned to the opposition leader’s residence, the families of gardener Lal Mia, cleaner Kamal Hossain and water line mechanic Akram Hossain live in the back of the house. In addition, four other families are temporarily living there.
In addition to preparing houses, the process of relocating these families is also underway.
A responsible public works official involved in supervising the work on the building said, “Most of the work inside the house is complete. Road repairs and some painting work are left outside. When the opposition leader moves here, furniture will be provided as per his instructions.”
