Bangladesh’s first woman Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, is set to be released from house arrest following the ouster of her long-standing political rival, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday. President Mohammed Shahabuddin has ordered the immediate release of Zia, the chief of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), after discussions with politicians and the army regarding the formation of an interim government.
Zia, who has been under house arrest since 2018 following her conviction in a corruption case, is reportedly suffering from various health issues. Her doctors have disclosed that she has liver disease, diabetes, and heart problems. Over the past several years, she has largely remained away from active politics due to these health concerns.
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The release of the former prime minister comes amid a period of political upheaval in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for several terms, resigned and left the country on Monday, paving the way for a potential shift in the nation’s political landscape.
The decision to release Zia reflects the ongoing changes in Bangladesh’s political scenario and the efforts to establish a new interim government. As the country navigates through this transition, the health and future political role of Khaleda Zia will be closely watched.
Who is Khaleda Zia?
Born on August 15, 1945, Khaleda Zia’s journey to becoming Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister was marked by both personal tragedy and political triumph. She was the wife of military leader and then-president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, who was assassinated in an attempted army coup in 1981. Three years later, in 1984, Zia became the head of her husband’s conservative Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), vowing to fulfill his vision of “liberating Bangladesh from poverty and economic backwardness.“
In 1990, Khaleda Zia joined forces with her political rival, Sheikh Hasina, to lead a popular uprising that successfully overthrew military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad from power. However, their cooperation failed to last, and Bangladesh held what has been hailed as its first free election the following year.
With the support of Islamic political allies, Zia emerged victorious and went on to become Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister, making her only the second woman to lead a democratic government of a predominantly Muslim nation after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto.
Why was Khaleda Zia placed under house arrest?
In 2018, Khaleda Zia, her eldest son, and several aides were convicted of stealing $250,000 in foreign donations intended for an orphanage trust established during her tenure as prime minister. The court sentenced her to jail, but in March 2020, she was released on humanitarian grounds due to her deteriorating health. Since then, she has remained under house arrest.
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Zia has consistently maintained that the charges against her were part of a political plot to keep her and her family out of politics. Her release from house arrest comes at a time of significant political change in Bangladesh, following the resignation and departure of her long-standing political rival, Sheikh Hasina, from the country.
