Bangladesh: Who is Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina's long-time nemesis, released from house arrest?

Bangladesh protests: As massive protests gripped Bangladesh and forced ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee the country, President Mohammad Shahabuddin ordered the release of jailed opposition leader and two-time former PM Khaleda Zia, who leads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which was accused of courting hardline extremists. India's relations with Zia's government had strained after she refused to crack down on the extremist group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

The protests marked a violent chapter in Bangladesh's history and brought a tumultuous end to Hasina's 15-year-old reign, as the unrest over job quotas ballooned into a movement that called for her ouster. Hasina fled the country in haste and arrived in India on Monday evening and her resignation was announced by Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman.

Bangladesh is awaiting the formation of an interim government and the military has urged people to refrain from violence as it promised to resolve the "injustice" done to the people. More than 300 people have been killed and thousands injured in the violent protests that started in mid-July. The 78-year-old Zia was ordered to be released from house arrest after Hasina's departure.

"I call upon the people of Bangladesh to display restraint and calm in the midst of this transitional moment on our democratic path," Tarique Rahman, the exiled acting chief of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Zia's son, said in a post on X on Tuesday. Zia is known as the arch-rival of Hasina and was sentenced to 17 years in prison in a corruption case, after which she was transferred to house arrest due to ill-health.

Khaleda Zia: From Hasina's friend to arch-nemesis

Zia was born on August 15, 1945, and was married to former military general and President Ziaur Rahman, who founded BNP, sharing two sons with him. Ziaur Rahman's rise to leadership began with founding father and first President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's assassination and ended with his own assassination in 1981. Described as shy and devoted to raising her two sons, Zia formally entered politics after her husband's death and took over the leadership of the BNP.

Promising to "liberate Bangladesh from poverty and economic backwardness' after Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad's military coup in 1982, Zia joined hands with Hasina, the leader of Awami League, to fight against the military rule in the country, ultimately toppling Ershad from power in 1990.

However, their cooperation did not last long as Zia won the first free election in 1991 over Hasina after gaining the support of Islamic political allies. Zia became Bangladesh's first female PM and the second woman to lead a democratic government of a mainly Muslim nation after Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto. She served as PM again from 2001 to 2006.

Zia's second term was marred by the rise of Islamist extremists and allegations of corruption, including an assassination attempt on Hasina in 2004 that killed 20 other people. After her term ended, the 2007 elections were postponed due to widespread violence and political instability, causing an army-backed interim government to take power. Both Hasina and Khaleda Zia were jailing on charges of corruption and abuse of power, but were eventually released.

India's ties with Bangladesh under Khaleda Zia

While India shares cordial relations with Hasina and her Awami League party, the situation is in stark contrast to that of BNP and Khaleda Zia. Even before that, her husband Ziaur Rahman had distanced his government from close ties with India, contrary to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's stance. Under Zia, anti-India activities grew significantly and the attacks on the Hindu community grew.

The BNP was also criticised for supporting and harbouring anti-India extremist elements like the ULFA on its soil. India faced challenges related to cross-border terrorism and repeatedly expressed concern over the activities of terrorist groups operating from Bangladesh. India's close ties with the Awami League also created perceptions that it was supporting Hasina's political interests and interfering in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, ties between the two neighbouring countries deepened under Hasina, who brought back political stability and cracked down on terrorist groups hostile to India. The two countries also worked on the improvement of railway, road, and inland water connectivity, boosting security and border management and the amplification of defence cooperation. India became Bangladesh's second-largest trading partner in Asia.

Where is Khaleda Zia now?

After Zia's term ended and the BNP boycotted the election in 2008, her stature was largely diminished as she never regained power after that. However, the vitriolic feud with Hasina that led to the two being dubbed "the battling Begums" continued to dominate Bangladeshi politics.

Tension between their two parties has often led to strikes, violence and deaths, impeding economic development for a poverty-stricken country of nearly 170 million that is low-lying and prone to devastating floods. In 2018, Zia, her eldest son and aides were convicted of stealing some $250,000 in foreign donations received by an orphanage trust set up when she was last prime minister - charges that she said were part of a plot to keep her and her family out of politics.

She was jailed but released in March 2020 on humanitarian grounds as her health deteriorated. She is suffering from liver disease, diabetes and heart problems, according to her doctors. Since then, Zia has been confined under house arrest.

What is happening in Bangladesh now?

The massive protests in Bangladesh were initially against the controversial quota system in government jobs, but soon spiralled into a broader agitation against the Awami League government after Hasina's 'razakar' remarks and the harsh police crackdown on protesters. While the initial protests calmed down after the Supreme Court scaled back the quotas, the recent unrest broke out as several students demanded Hasina's resignation.

After Hasina's resignation, much of the calm has returned in the embattled country as shops and schools reopened. Noble Laureate Mohammad Yunus has agreed to be the chief adviser for the soon-to-be-formed interim government and Zia has been officially freed. President Mohammed Shahabuddin has officially dissolved the 12th Parliament formed after the January 7 election where Hasina was elected for a fourth term.

Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman held talks with leaders of major political parties - excluding Hasina's long-ruling Awami League - to discuss the way ahead. A BNP spokesperson said on Monday that Zia was in hospital and "will clear all charges legally and come out soon".

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