Bangladesh has highlighted a significant change in the country’s political landscape by releasing Begum Khaleda Zia, the leader of the main opposition party, from house arrest. The announcement was made by the President’s office. Zia, who is 78 years old, has previously served as Prime Minister twice and was convicted in 2018 on corruption charges, receiving a 17-year prison sentence. Following a decline in her health, Zia was transferred to a hospital a year later. She has consistently denied the allegations against her.
Meanwhile, Zia has been an important opponent to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also 76 years old and stepped down from her position and left the country on Friday. On Tuesday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced Zia’s release from house arrest while dissolving the parliament, following calls from a student-led national movement. Zia has been the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) since 1981, after her husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated during an attempted military coup. She became Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister a decade later. Despite holding office from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006, Zia’s tenures have been marred by allegations of corruption. As part of an agreement that allows Zia to resume her political career, her two sons—who are also facing corruption charges—have relocated to the United Kingdom.
The news of Zia’s release coincided with a meeting between the Army Chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, and student leaders to discuss the formation of a temporary government, which is expected to hold elections shortly after taking office. Additionally, Bangladesh’s main police association apologized on Tuesday for their actions against “innocent students” during the crackdown on protestors and called for the release of their detained officers. “Until the safety of every police member is ensured, we declare a strike,” the police association stated.
Families of political prisoners in Bangladesh under Hasina’s administration have been anxiously awaiting news about their loved ones, as some of the missing have been released. One of the most notable individuals released on Tuesday was opposition activist and lawyer Ahmad Bin Quasem, a British-trained barrister and the son of Mir Quasem Ali, the former leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (Islamic Society), who was executed in 2016 after his final appeal was denied by the Supreme Court.
Human rights organizations have criticized security forces under Hasina’s government for detaining tens of thousands of opposition activists and killing hundreds in extrajudicial violence. Human Rights Watch pointed out last year that security forces have been involved in over “600 enforced disappearances” since Hasina came to power in 2009, with nearly 100 individuals still reported missing. Hasina’s government has denied the allegations, claiming that some of those reported missing drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to reach Europe. “We need answers,” said Sanjida Islam Tulee, coordinator for Mayer Daak (Mothers’ Call), a group engaged in demanding the release of detainees.