BANGLADESH’S former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, who is also chair of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned home to cheering crowds on Tuesday (6) after months abroad for medical treatment.
Zia, 79, led the south Asian nation twice but was jailed for corruption in 2018 during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, her successor and lifelong rival who barred her from travelling abroad for medical care.
The 79-year-old was released from house arrest after a student-led mass uprising ousted Hasina in August 2024.
She flew to Britain in January and returned on Tuesday, BNP spokesperson Shairul Kabir said.
Thousands of party activists welcomed her, gathering on either side of the road leading to the airport, and waving party flags and placards with welcome messages.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, 84, who has led an interim government since Hasina fled into exile, has said polls will be held as early as December, and by June 2026 at the latest.
“This is a significant day for the country and the people of Bangladesh,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP’s secretary general, said. “The celebration we are witnessing is not only an outpouring of emotion but also a demonstration of our strength.”
Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India. She has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka over charges of alleged crimes against humanity.
This book cover image released by Alfred A. Knopf shows 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' by Sonia Gandhi. 