Bangladesh Crisis: President Orders Release Of Jailed Former PM Khaleda Zia

Amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, President Mohammed Shahabuddin has ordered the release of Khaleda Zia, the imprisoned former Prime Minister and opposition leader. decision came just hours after Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power and the military took control. Hasina aged 76, resigned and left the country earlier in the day amidst widespread protests against her administration.

Military Lifts Curfew

The military announced that it would lift the curfew imposed to quell protests at dawn on Tuesday. "Offices, factories, schools, colleges... will be open" from 6:00 am Tuesday (0000 GMT), stated a military spokesperson. This announcement followed their seizure of power after Hasina's departure.

Khaleda Zia, aged 78 and in poor health, has been confined to a hospital since being sentenced to 17 years in prison on corruption charges in 2018. She led Bangladesh as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader is a prominent opponent of Sheikh Hasina.

Decision to Release Khaleda Zia

President Shahabuddin's decision was made during a meeting with opposition party members. A press statement confirmed that he "decided to release Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia immediately." Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, along with navy and air force heads and top leaders from various opposition parties including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, attended this meeting.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Sheikh Hasina and a former official adviser, stated that his mother would not make a political comeback. He revealed that she left the country for her safety due to family insistence. In an interview with BBC World Service's Newshour, Joy said there would be no political return for his mother.

Hasina's Departure

Joy disclosed that Sheikh Hasina had been considering resignation since Sunday and ultimately left for her safety upon her family's urging. He expressed that his mother was deeply disappointed by the uprising against her despite her efforts over 15 years to transform Bangladesh.

"She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power, it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia. She's very disappointed," Joy said.

The violent clashes between protesters demanding Sheikh Hasina's resignation and supporters of the ruling Awami League erupted on Sunday. These tensions followed recent violence surges, with over 200 people killed in confrontations between police and predominantly student protesters. In the past two weeks alone, at least 300 individuals have lost their lives.

Protesters' Demands

The demonstrators are calling for the abolition of a controversial quota system that reserves 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 War of Independence.

The meeting where Khaleda Zia's release was decided also concluded with plans to free all individuals arrested during student protests. "The meeting has also decided to free all the people who have been arrested during the student protests," stated an official communication.