Khaleda Zia Returns to Dhaka

Former Prime Minister and leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Begum Khaleda Zia, arrived back in Dhaka on a special flight from the UK, provided by the Qatari government.

She was greeted at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by senior members of her party, along with her daughters-in-law, Dr. Zubida Rahman and Sheeda Sharmira Rahman.

At 79, Zia, who has served as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister twice, was imprisoned for corruption in 2018 during the tenure of her rival, Sheikh Hasina.

The caretaker government, led by Muhammad Yunus, took control of Bangladesh last August after Hasina’s regime fell amidst a student-led uprising, causing her to flee to New Delhi.

A large crowd of BNP supporters gathered to welcome Zia back, as the party ramps up for the upcoming elections slated for next year. Her return may intensify pressure on the interim government to finalize a date for these elections, which has been delayed.

Though she has faced health challenges, Zia’s presence carries significant symbolic weight for her party leadership.

Zia was released from prison in January after the Supreme Court acquitted her, shortly before she traveled to the UK for medical treatment.

As the widow of General Ziaur Rahman, a former military ruler who was assassinated in 1981, she became Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister in 1991.

Currently, the BNP is under the guidance of Tarique Rahman, Zia’s son, who primarily resides abroad. The party leadership has been discussing strategies regarding the upcoming elections.

Rahman has urged for the elections to be conducted promptly, emphasizing that authoritarianism arises when constitutional norms are disregarded. He warned against the encroachment of such governance on democratic practices and citizens’ rights.

Critics have accused Muhammad Yunus of enabling Islamic groups like Jamaat and Islami Bangladesh, alleging that he intends to manipulate the election schedule to retain power.