Ex-leader Khaleda Zia returns to Bangladesh at ‘crucial time for democracy’

After four months of receiving medical care in the British capital, London, former prime minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia has returned to Dhaka, putting pressure on the interim government to set a date for national elections.

Since Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a student-led uprising in August of last year, Zia’s return on Tuesday marked a crucial moment for Bangladesh, which has been under an interim government.

Despite Hasina’s exile in India, Zia’s presence in the nation has a significant symbolic significance for her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) party.

“We and the country are delighted at this.” Her presence marks a significant day for the nation at this crucial time for democracy. We think Khaleda Zia’s return will pave the way for a democratic transition, according to BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Zia, who has spent recent years in and out of hospital, was welcomed by thousands of supporters gathered outside Dhaka’s main airport and along the road leading to her home. At the airport, she was seen using a wheelchair. The 78-year-old BNP leader grinned as she repeatedly raised her right to receive greetings.

Hasina’s main political rival, a three-time prime minister, twice for five-year terms and once for a short period, was found guilty in 2018 and given a total sentence of 17 years in prison for allegedly stealing money from charitable trusts. The BNP saw the allegations as politically motivated and were brought during Hasina’s rule.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh acquitted Zia in January, overturning her 10-year sentence and releasing her from any charges. In a separate, well-known case in November 2024, Zia was charged with misappropriating more than $ 260, 000 from a second trust during her most recent term in office.

Date of the election

Although Zia has already been freed from jail, her arrival in Bangladesh will stoke calls for the interim government to set a date for national elections.

Depending on the pace of reforms, Bangladesh’s government has committed to holding elections by December of this year or June of that year.

Ziaur Rahman, who was killed in 1981, became the nation’s first female prime minister and one of the first women to lead South Asia as a woman, leaving her husband.

Tarique Rahman, Zia’s elder son, serves as the BNP’s acting director from exile in London.