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Bangladesh’s Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Returns Home to a Hero’s Welcome
Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and BNP leader, returns to a hero’s welcome after months abroad for medical treatment.
ND
by News Desk
2025-05-06
Bangladesh’s Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Returns Home to a Hero’s Welcome

Khaleda Zia, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and chair of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to the country on Tuesday to a warm welcome from thousands of her supporters after several months abroad for medical treatment.

Zia, 79, served as Prime Minister twice but was sentenced to jail in 2018 on corruption charges during the administration of her rival, Sheikh Hasina. Despite her condition, Hasina had barred her from traveling abroad for treatment. However, after a student-led uprising ousted Hasina’s government in August 2024, Zia was released from house arrest. She flew to Britain in January for medical care and returned to Bangladesh this week.

Upon her return, BNP spokesperson Shairul Kabir confirmed the news and reported that Zia was greeted by thousands of party activists who lined the streets to welcome her. They waved BNP flags and held placards with messages of support.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and interim leader of Bangladesh’s government since Hasina went into exile, has announced that elections could take place as early as December 2024, with the latest being set for June 2026.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP’s Secretary-General, called Zia’s return a "significant day" for the people of Bangladesh, adding that the large crowds gathered in support were a demonstration of the BNP’s strength.

While Khaleda Zia has made a triumphant return, her rival Sheikh Hasina remains in exile in India, facing an arrest warrant from Dhaka on charges of crimes against humanity.

 
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PoliticalRevolution

BangladeshPolitics

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