Bangladesh’s Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Returns Home After Medical Treatment in London: A Political and Personal Saga
Dhaka, Bangladesh – In a politically symbolic and deeply personal development, Bangladesh’s past Prime Minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia came home on Tuesday following a four-month medical stay in London. The 78-year-old leader arrived home on a Qatari air ambulance, a moment of high drama in Bangladesh’s volatile political scene, sparking renewed speculation about her health, court battles, and the fate of her party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
A Leader’s Frail Health and a Nation’s Political Pulse
Two-time prime minister (1991–1996 and 2001–2006) and arch-rival of incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia has been a dominant force in Bangladesh’s unstable political landscape for years. Her return is set against a background of rising hostilities between her BNP party and the ruling Awami League, which has been in power since 2009. Zia’s illness and lengthy absence had created a degree of uncertainty about the BNP’s approach for the next election, so her return was one of great speculation.
Zia’s January 8, 2023, flight to London to receive higher-level medical treatment was full of political intrigue. The government had also temporarily suspended her prison terms in 2020 on humanitarian grounds, enabling her to receive care at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. But her going abroad needed special permission, which the government originally opposed. Following months of diplomatic negotiation and global pressure, including from human rights groups, Zia was allowed to depart for London’s world-famous The London Clinic, where she received treatment for liver cirrhosis, arthritis, and diabetes complications.
The Road to Recovery and Qatar’s Role
Zia’s health journey in London was followed very closely by her detractors and proponents alike. Once released from the hospital, she recovered at the home of her exiled oldest son, Tarique Rahman, the BNP’s acting chairman. Convicted in absentia on corruption and terrorism-related charges, Rahman has resided in London since 2008, inviting speculation on the confluence of Zia’s individual health ailments and the political exile of her family.
Significantly, Zia’s comeback was orchestrated with the support of Qatar, one of the main regional partners of Bangladesh. The Gulf state gave her a state-of-the-art air ambulance for travel, which highlighted its diplomatic clout as well as the geopolitical dynamics dictating the politics of South Asia. The flight, bringing Zia along with her two daughter-in-laws—Tarique’s wife Zubaida Rahman and widow of her deceased son Arafat Rahman Coco, Syeda Sharmila Rahman—arrived at Dhaka airport at 10:30 AM local time. Tarique said goodbye to his mother at Heathrow Airport, a touching moment for a family divided by political unrest.
Legal Quagmire and Political Implications
Khaleda Zia’s comeback is not so much a personal achievement as it is a political lightning rod. In 2018, she was sentenced to 17 years in jail on corruption charges stemming from the misappropriation of funds for an orphanage trust—a charge that she and her allies have scoffed at as politically motivated. Although her sentence was suspended on condition in 2020, she remains disenfranchised from participating in elections or leaving the country without government permission.
Her return has revitalized the BNP, which boycotted the 2014 polls and fared poorly in 2018 following accusations of voter intimidation and suppression. Zia’s return has been positioned by party leaders as a “new dawn” for the opposition to rally members ahead of the 2024 general elections. The government has not indicated that it will extend her any further clemency, however. Law Minister Anisul Huq reaffirmed that Zia’s suspended sentence is still subject to her not engaging in political activities, a requirement the BNP has refused as unconstitutional.
Public Sentiment: Sympathy vs. Skepticism
Public opinion regarding Zia’s return has been divided. To her believers, she represents opposition to Hasina’s increasingly autocratic regime, which has been faulted for suppressing dissent, muzzling the press, and amassing power through questionable legal reforms. Social media outlets were abuzz with hashtags such as #WelcomeBackKhaleda, with believers posting fond pictures of her rule, highlighting her leadership in economic reforms and cyclone and flood management.
Opponents, however, consider Zia to be an icon of the BNP’s supposed corruption and bloody politics. They cite her administration’s abuses of human rights, such as suppressing opposition, and the ill-famed reputation of her family. Tarique Rahman, specifically, is still a controversial character, accused of orchestrating a 2004 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina that killed 24 individuals.
Regional and International Dimensions
Zia’s foreign medical treatment and Qatar’s intervention underscore Bangladesh’s changing foreign policy dynamics. The Hasina administration has fostered close relations with India and Western countries, while Qatar’s intervention indicates Dhaka’s attempts to balance ties with Middle Eastern powers. Experts opine that Qatar’s gesture could be related to its investments in Bangladesh’s energy sector, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, and as a host to more than 400,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers.
While this goes on, global human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have called for Bangladesh to provide Zia with proper medical care and to respond to issues of judicial impartiality. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also appealed to the government to permit peaceful political activity—a call that becomes more urgent as elections near.
The Road Ahead: Challenges for Zia and the BNP
Khaleda Zia’s return also raises urgent questions about her ability to lead the BNP. Her poor health restricts her campaigning, and the party is still heavily dependent on Tarique Rahman’s distant leadership—a liability considering his legal status and controversial reputation. The BNP’s strategy depends on riding public anger at increasing inflation, unemployment, and perceived government autocracy. But Awami League’s deep-rooted dominance, supported by development gains such as infrastructure development and GDP growth, presents a strong challenge.
The next few months will determine if Zia’s symbolic presence can rally the opposition or if internal divisions and pressure from the government will sabotage the BNP’s comeback. With Sheikh Hasina looking to win a fourth term in a row, the stage is set for a high-stakes political battle—one in which Khaleda Zia’s legacy and survival could be the deciding factor.
A Nation at a Crossroads
The return of Khaleda Zia to Bangladesh is more than a private homecoming; it is a microcosm of the nation’s persistent political struggle. As she picks up her life under the shadow of legal constraints and health issues, her life mirrors Bangladesh’s larger attempt at democratic accountability and reconciliation. Whether her presence will energize a splintered opposition or reinforce existing cleavages is unclear. What is certain, though, is that in the struggle between two political dynasties—the Hasinas and the Zias—the final stakes are the hopes of Bangladesh’s 170 million citizens, dreaming of stability, justice, and a say in their country’s future.
As the sun fell over Dhaka on Tuesday evening, her followers outside Zia’s Gulshan home chanted slogans, brandished party flags, and wished her a speedy recovery. But in corridors of power, expectation was palpable: the comeback of Khaleda Zia has started the clock ticking for a new act in Bangladesh’s never-ending political drama.
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