Bangladesh’s Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia Released After Sheikh Hasina Flees
Dhaka, Bangladesh – In a significant turn of events, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has ordered the release of Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister and a key opposition figure. This decision came just hours after Sheikh Hasina, the current prime minister and Zia’s long-time rival, fled the country.
On Monday, the president’s press team announced that a meeting led by Shahabuddin had unanimously decided to free Khaleda Zia, who is also the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The meeting also resolved to release all individuals arrested during recent student protests.
The meeting was attended by leaders from various opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as military leaders like Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and the heads of the navy and air force.
Khaleda Zia, 78, has been in poor health and confined to a hospital. She was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2018 for corruption, accused of embezzling funds meant for an orphanage trust. The BNP claims these charges were politically motivated to keep her out of politics, a claim denied by Hasina’s administration.
Since last month, over 2,000 people have been jailed following fatal protests against a government job quota system. These protests evolved into a nationwide campaign demanding Hasina’s resignation.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government would be formed and promised a thorough investigation into the deaths during the protests. He assured the public of justice and urged them to trust the army.
The military also announced that the curfew would be lifted on Tuesday morning, allowing businesses, schools, and institutions to reopen. Celebrations erupted in Chittagong and other parts of the country as news of Hasina’s departure spread.
Sheikh Hasina resigned amid mounting protests and arrived in India on Monday evening. It remains unclear whether she will stay in Delhi or move elsewhere.
In Dhaka, leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement proposed an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus to address the country’s challenges. President Shahabuddin has approved the formation of this interim government.
Doubts Revealed
Khaleda Zia -: Khaleda Zia is a politician who was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been an important leader in the country.
Sheikh Hasina -: Sheikh Hasina is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She is also a well-known political leader in the country.
Mohammed Shahabuddin -: Mohammed Shahabuddin is the President of Bangladesh. He has the authority to make important decisions for the country.
Nobel Laureate -: A Nobel Laureate is someone who has won a Nobel Prize, which is a very prestigious award given for great achievements in various fields like peace, science, and literature.
Dr. Muhammad Yunus -: Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a famous person from Bangladesh who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping poor people through microfinance.
government job quota system -: A government job quota system is a rule that reserves a certain number of jobs in the government for specific groups of people, like those from disadvantaged communities.
interim government -: An interim government is a temporary government set up to manage the country until a new, permanent government is established.
