Khaleda Zia Announces Candidacy for February Elections in Bangladesh

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will participate in the upcoming elections scheduled for February 2024, as confirmed by her prominent political party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The announcement was made on Monday by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior leader of the BNP, who stated that Zia will contest in three different constituencies.

At 80 years old, Zia has been a significant figure in Bangladesh’s political landscape for decades. She has faced numerous challenges, including health issues stemming from years of imprisonment under the government of her political rival, Sheikh Hasina. Zia was incarcerated for corruption in 2018 and was barred from traveling abroad for medical treatment. Following Hasina’s removal from power in a mass uprising in August 2024, Zia was released from prison.

The political rivalry between Zia and Hasina has shaped Bangladesh’s governance for years. Zia has served as Prime Minister three times, while the feud is often referred to as the “Battle of the Begums,” highlighting the historical tensions between the two powerful women. This animosity can be traced back to the 1975 assassination of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence leader, during a military coup.

Political Legacy and Family Involvement

Zia’s late husband, Ziaur Rahman, who was the deputy army chief at the time, took control shortly after the coup and became president in 1977. He was assassinated in 1981, leaving Zia, then a young mother of two, to inherit the leadership of the BNP. Initially underestimated, she emerged as a strong political force, notably uniting with Hasina to oust military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990.

Zia and Hasina alternated in power for over 15 years, demonstrating their enduring influence on Bangladeshi politics. Zia’s political journey has also included her son, Tarique Rahman, who has been living in London since 2008 due to what he claims is politically motivated persecution. Rahman, who is 59 years old, will also run in the upcoming elections, marking a significant return for the family in the political arena. He has recently been acquitted of a life sentence related to a 2004 grenade attack, a charge he has consistently denied.

The BNP is currently viewed as a leading contender in the forthcoming elections, and Zia’s candidacy marks a pivotal moment for the party. Her health and political legacy will be closely monitored as she re-enters the electoral fray. The political landscape in Bangladesh remains turbulent, and the upcoming elections are likely to be a critical juncture in the country’s ongoing struggle for power.

With the BNP rallying behind Zia, the stage is set for a renewed chapter in Bangladesh’s political history, one that echoes the complex and often contentious relationship between two of its most prominent political figures.