Jailed Ex-PM of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia to be Released

With the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh, the jailed former premier Khaleda Zia is now set to leave the prison. After Sheikh Hasina’s ouster on Monday, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has ordered for Zia’s release.

Zia was the key opposition leader who heads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. She has been elected thrice, but could run governments for only two terms.

Khaleda Zia was born in Jalpaiguri in undivided India. Her husband, Lt Gen Ziaur Rehman, a ruthless military officer, served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981.

She was the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991. Zia won a second term in 1996, but the elections were boycotted and denounced as unfair by the major opposition parties, including Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina. Her government lasted only 12 days. In the fresh elections, Awami League won Hasina went on to became the prime minister for the first time.

Khaleda Zia returned to power five years later as an alliance of four parties led by her won the elections. She stepped down in 2006 and was arrested for corruption a year later.

In 2018, she was convicted of corruption charges and jailed for 17 years.