Bangladesh news: Why did Sheikh Hasina's enemy number 1 Khaleda Zia have to leave the country, what happened suddenly in Bangladesh

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia left for London for treatment on Tuesday. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says that their leader's visit is due to medical reasons and no political meaning should be drawn from it. However, Zia's foreign visit during the period of political turmoil raises many questions. The most important thing is that the two top leaders who dominated the country's politics for many decades are now abroad.

Former PM and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina had to leave power and flee to India after the outrage that arose from the student movement in August last year.

Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 17 years in the Sheikh Hasina government

After this, an interim government was formed under the leadership of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, which is currently ruling the country. Zia was sentenced to 17 years in jail for two corruption cases during the rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Both of these alleged corruption cases were from the time when Zia was prime minister during 2001-2006. Her supporters claim that the allegations were politically motivated, although the Hasina government has been denying this. Under Yunus' rule, Zia was acquitted in one case in November, and the appeal of the second case was being heard on Tuesday.

Uproar over Khaleda leaving the country?

The interim government is planning to hold elections in December this year or in the first half of 2026. Zia and Hasina's absence from the country will have the biggest impact on the election preparations of their parties. Sheikh Hasina's return to the country in the near future seems difficult. On the other hand, Khaleda Zia's return can bring a big upheaval in the country's politics, but everything will depend on when she returns home. It is believed that the Yunus government is taking a soft stand towards Khaleda Zia and her party. The BNP has traditionally been pro-Pakistan. It has been considered a party with more communal ideology than the Awami League. The Yunus government is also constantly trying to improve relations with Islamabad.

Extremist forces increased in Bangladesh

Extremist forces have gained strength in the country since the interim government came into being. Minority communities and their religious places are being targeted. The government is being accused of discriminating against minorities. Have the old parties become relevant in this deeply communal era? Is the absence of two former PMs in the country at this politically sensitive time an indication that Bangladesh is now entering a new political era? The coming period may prove to be very challenging for the old parties.

Zia left for London by air ambulance

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia left for London by air ambulance late Tuesday night for treatment. Her advisor Zahiruddin Swapan said that Zia left for London by air ambulance from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late last night. The former PM's advisor told a news agency that Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani had sent a special air ambulance for her. According to Khaleda Zia's doctors, she has liver cirrhosis, heart disease and kidney-related problems. She has been the Prime Minister of Bangladesh thrice.

Situation worse in Bangladesh

Let us tell you that Khaleda Zia's visit to London is taking place at a time when there is a very tense atmosphere in Dhaka. Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina from power on 5 August 2024, the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is in charge of the country. Zia and Hasina are the most influential political leaders in Bangladesh.

Khaleda Zia was the PM of Bangladesh

For information, let us tell you that Zia was sentenced to 17 years in jail in two corruption cases during 2001-2006 during Hasina's rule, when she was the Prime Minister of the country. However, in November, the High Court acquitted the former Prime Minister, pardoning her seven years of imprisonment in a corruption case. Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Khaleda Zia first became the country's prime minister in 1991. Her second term as prime minister lasted from 2001 to 2006.

Sheikh Hasina's arch enemy

78-year-old Khaleda Zia, considered to be Sheikh Hasina's arch enemy, is the head of the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party. In 1991, Khaleda Zia became the first woman prime minister of Bangladesh. Her political career rose after the assassination of her husband Ziaur Rahman. Khaleda Zia was sentenced to 17 years in a corruption case. After this, she was sent to jail in 2018.