Khaleda's return will help build non-discriminatory Bangladesh: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that the return of party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia will help advance the goal of building a non-discriminatory Bangladesh.

Speaking to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport this morning (6 May), he described her return as "good news for the country and the nation," reports Samakal.

"Khaleda Zia's return will make the path to democracy easier," Fakhrul said, adding that he sought prayers from the people for her continued good health.

Khaleda Zia is expected to arrive at the airport today on a Qatar Royal Ambulance flight, following an extended period of medical treatment in London. Party activists began gathering at the airport from early morning to welcome her.

The BNP chairperson was sent to the Old Dhaka Central Jail after a lower court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case on 8 February 2018 and the High Court doubled the jail term around nine months later.

The Zia orphanage graft case was filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in July 2008, accusing Khaleda of misappropriating over Tk2.10 crore that was received as grants for orphans via a foreign bank.

Later, she was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by the same court in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case in October 2018.

In August 2011, the ACC filed the Zia Charitable Trust graft case with Tejgaon Police Station, accusing four people, including Khaleda, of raising funds for the trust from unknown sources and abusing power.

She had been accused in 37 cases, among which 13 were filed during the rule of military-backed  caretaker rule, widely known as 1/11, while 24 were filed during the Awami League rule. 

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the government temporarily freed Khaleda Zia from jail through an executive order by suspending her sentence on 25 March 2020, with the condition that she would stay at her Gulshan house and not leave the country.

Since then, her release term has been extended every six months following the family's plea.

On 30 October 2024, the High Court dismissed 10 sabotage cases and one sedition case filed against the BNP chairperson at Darus Salam and Jatrabari police stations in the capital, said the lawyer. 

On  27 November last year, the High Court acquitted her in the Zia Charitable Trust case  after scrapping her seven-year sentence in the case.

Her "house arrest" ended on 6 August, after she was declared completely free as President Mohammed Shahabuddin commuted her prison terms.

The 78-year-old former prime minister has long been suffering from various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, arthritis, diabetes, kidney, lung, heart, eye problems, and post-Covid complications. 

Khaleda Zia travelled to London on 8 January in a special air ambulance sent by the Emir of Qatar.

Upon arrival, she was admitted to the London Clinic, a private hospital, where she remained under the care of renowned specialists Professor Patrick Kennedy and Professor Jennifer Cross for 17 days.

Since 25 January, she has been receiving treatment at the residence of her elder son, Tarique Rahman.

Tarique Rahman, Dr Zubaida, and their daughter Zaima Rahman have been living in London since 2008. It will be Zubaida's first return to Bangladesh in 17 years.

Khaleda Zia returned today with her entourage members, including her eldest son Tarique Rahman's wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, and her late son Arafat Rahman Koko's wife Syeda Sharmila Rahman, along with members of her medical team.

The BNP ranks appear energised by Khaleda's return. Party members across the country are also elated and emotional about Zubaida's long-awaited homecoming. Her return has sparked fresh curiosity about whether she will now enter active politics.

Speaking to The Business Standard, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said party leaders and supporters would greet Khaleda along the route from Dhaka airport to her Gulshan residence today.

He noted that anticipation around Khaleda's arrival had created a festive mood, especially among grassroots BNP members. "This enthusiasm could shape a political atmosphere conducive to early elections," he added.