Earth Bureau | Khaleda Zia is released, will the former Bangladeshi prime minister make a comeback?
2024-08-06
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Bangladesh has been experiencing political turmoil recently. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country on August 5. Army Chief of Staff Zaman said that an interim government would be established soon to govern the country. Afterwards, Bangladesh President Chup ordered the release of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
A special court in Bangladesh found Khaleda Zia guilty of corruption in 2018 and sentenced her to five years in prison. Khaleda Zia, 79, is the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the leader of the opposition Nationalist Party.
Khaleda Zia (file photo)
Since the 1990s, Bangladesh has been ruled by the Nationalist Party and the Awami League in turn. Hasina, who has resigned, is the chairman of the Awami League. She served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh five times in 1996, 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024. Khaleda Zia served as Prime Minister twice, from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2006.
Khaleda Zia is the widow of former Bangladeshi President Ziaur Rahman. Khaleda Zia entered Surendranath College in 1960 and married Ziaur Rahman while at school. Ziaur Rahman participated in the independence struggle of Bangladesh and served as the Chief of Army Staff after the country's independence. In 1975, Bangladesh's first president Mujibur Rahman, Hasina's father, was killed in a military coup. Ziaur Rahman, who was the Chief of Army Staff, gradually came to power and was elected president in 1978.
In 1981, Ziaur Rahman was assassinated, and Khaleda Zia entered politics. She became the vice chairman of the Nationalist Party in 1982 and was elected to the National Assembly in 1991. In the same year, the Nationalist Party won the general election, and Khaleda Zia, as the party's chairman, became prime minister, becoming the first female prime minister in Bangladesh's history.
In October 2001, the four-party coalition led by Khaleda Zia won the general election and she served as prime minister again until October 2006. Later, Khaleda Zia was involved in corruption charges and was arrested on suspicion of corruption in September 2007. Her son was also arrested at the same time. After a year in prison, she was released on bail in September 2008.
In March 2014, the Bangladesh High Court formally accepted the corruption case against Khaleda Zia, her eldest son and seven others. Since January 6, 2015, the 20-party coalition led by Khaleda Zia has launched an uninterrupted nationwide traffic blockade, during which a general strike was held. The violent clashes caused by the protests have resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. Since January 3, 2015, Khaleda Zia has been living in her office and was restricted from traveling. In February 2015, the court issued an arrest warrant for her. Khaleda Zia appeared in court in April of that year, and the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission accused her of corruption in the operation of the Zia Orphanage Trust and the Zia Charity Foundation.
In February 2018, a special court in Bangladesh found Khaleda Zia guilty of corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison, which was later increased to 10 years by the country's High Court. In October of the same year, Khaleda Zia was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Zia Charitable Trust case. According to relevant Bangladeshi laws, those sentenced to more than two years in prison are not allowed to run for or hold public office within five years. However, the appellate court can decide whether the person is qualified to run for or hold public office.
On August 6, the President of Bangladesh announced the dissolution of the National Assembly. As the soul of the nationalist party, will the released Khaleda Zia make a comeback?
(Reporter Wang Xiaoying from Qilu Evening News and Qilu One Point Client)
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