Writer and researcher Mohiuddin Ahmad has written a political chronicle about Khaleda Zia, titled “Khaleda”. In this book, he commented, “Our political field has many players. Each one is a window through which a particular time period can be seen and understood. After Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sirajul Alam Khan, Siraj Sikder, and Tajuddin Ahmad, my current subject is Khaleda Zia.”
When politicians are in power, it is hard to understand their true popularity. State-run media and loyal propagandists place leaders on pedestals and constantly promote their glory. Politicians often use various tactics to inculcate “mandatory” reverence among their party members and supporters. Praising the leader becomes an essential task for party workers to retain their positions. However, once they are ousted from power, we often see their magnified glory dissipate like a bubble.
Among the politicians who have earned widespread respect and reverence from the people, even when out of power, Khaleda Zia undoubtedly is one of them. Many people, who are not aligned with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or its ideologies, still admire Khaleda Zia as a politician.
This respect has been earned through her personal etiquette and courtesy. She talks less, which can also be seen as a virtue. In contemporary Bangladesh, it seems no politician is as popular as she is. Since 1991, Khaleda Zia has not lost any elections. Even in elections where BNP lost, she managed to garner record numbers of votes in every constituency.
In 2007, when a military-backed government took power, numerous cases were filed against the two female leaders, eventually leading to their arrests. However, after struggling to deal with both domestic and international situations, they were forced to release them. Former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee’s book “The Coalition Years” provides fascinating details on this matter.
Many people, who are not aligned with BNP or its ideologies, still admire Khaleda Zia as a politician. This respect has been earned through her personal etiquette and courtesy
The military-backed government’s targets were the two female leaders and their respective parties. Yet, after the Awami League came to power in 2009, all the cases against Sheikh Hasina were swiftly disposed of, while Khaleda Zia’s cases remained unresolved. In 2018, she was sentenced in two “controversial” cases and sent to prison.
Since then, political activities of Khaleda Zia have apparently come to a halt. After serving 25 months in prison, the Awami League government suspended her sentence through an executive order but did not permit her to go abroad for treatment.
In contrast, many others, including the late president HM Ershad and former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, had been granted bail after being convicted in corruption cases. During this time, Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, residing in London, has been running the party as the acting chairman.
Even though Khaleda Zia has not been involved in political activities, she is still regarded as the main pillar and hope of BNP. After the mass uprising in July that led to the fall of the Awami League government, the travel ban on Khaleda Zia was lifted. After several months of preparation, she traveled to London on 7 January 2025, in an air ambulance provided by the Qatar Emir. She is currently receiving treatment at the London Clinic.
There appears to be no substantial basis for the political speculation surrounding her trip to London. The situation in 2007 and 2025 is not the same. In 2007, the conflict between BNP and Awami League pushed the country towards a catastrophic situation. One of the key figures behind the changeover in power in 1/11, Moeen U Ahmed, explained the background of the situation in his memoir “Shantir Swopne: Somoyer Smiritcharon”.
The political transitions in 17 years between these two events are significantly different. The 1/11 event happened by the military’s unilateral decision, with no active role from the politicians.
In contrast, the 2024 change of power came about through an uprising of students and the people, where the military did not oppose the people. Rather, they welcomed the change and played a role in forming the interim government.
Recently, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman stated in an interview with Prothom Alo that the military has no intention of entering politics, and instead, they support the democratic process and interim government.
There has been political discussion about a meeting between Khaleda Zia and the army chief before her departure, but this seems mostly speculative. A member of BNP’s standing committee told Prothom Alo, “She (Khaleda Zia) is going abroad for treatment. The army chief and his wife visited her to inquire about her health. As far as I know, the meeting was solely about her health and treatment, not politics or anything else.” (Prothom Alo, 5 January 2025)
According to BBC reports, while Khaleda Zia’s trip to London for treatment has brought both relief and concern within BNP, there is much speculation within the party about how the absence of the two top leaders might affect the situation. This indicates that Khaleda Zia’s presence is crucial for both her party and democracy in Bangladesh.
When asked about the delay in her departure at the end of December, a central leader of BNP said, “Given her current physical condition, there is no obstacle for her to go abroad. However, many things depend on her presence in the country.”
Although he didn’t elaborate, he acknowledged that there is some internal pressure in the BNP. Violent clashes have occurred in various places over potential candidates for the upcoming elections. Actions have been taken against several central leaders, but the situation remains unresolved.
At this moment, the party leaders and workers are somewhat concerned about the absence of both the party chief and the acting chairman. The people of the country also hope that after receiving treatment, Khaleda Zia will return to lead the party again. She is seen as the symbol of unity and solidarity within the party.
Questions have also arisen about when Tarique Rahman will return to the country. A member of BNP’s standing committee said recently, “The environment is not yet conducive for Tarique Rahman’s return.”
Is he suggesting something about the cases filed against him, or is there another reason? If it’s about the cases, there may not be much concern as most of the cases against Khaleda and Tarique are close to final resolution.
While it’s unclear when the conducive environment for Tarique Rahman’s return will be created, Khaleda Zia’s trip to London is undoubtedly not an exit; it signals a potential political return.
prothom alo
