Former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s return to Bangladesh has drawn significant international attention, with major global and regional media outlets reporting that her presence could heighten pressure on the interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus to set a date for national elections.
Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera noted that “Zia’s presence raises pressure on the interim government to set a date for elections nine months after her archrival Hasina’s ouster.”
In a report titled “Ex-leader Khaleda Zia returns to Bangladesh at ‘crucial time for democracy’”, the network emphasised the timing of her arrival after a four-month stay in London for medical treatment.
“Zia’s return on Tuesday came at a critical juncture for Bangladesh, which has been governed by an interim administration since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a student-led uprising in August last year,” Al Jazeera wrote.
It added that while Zia had previously been released from prison, her return to Dhaka will likely “intensify calls on the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, to announce a clear date for national elections.”
Bangladesh’s current administration has indicated elections may be held either in December this year or by June next year, depending on the progress of democratic and legal reforms.
Indian broadcaster NDTV also covered the development, highlighting Khaleda Zia’s previous two terms as Prime Minister and her 2018 imprisonment on corruption charges during Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
NDTV noted that BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has recently called for prompt elections as a pathway to restoring constitutional order.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s leading English-language daily Dawn ran a story titled “Loyalists cheer as ex-PM Khaleda Zia returns home to Bangladesh”.
It quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as saying “The celebration we are witnessing is not only an outpouring of emotion but also a demonstration of our strength.”
Dawn’s report further stated that Sheikh Hasina remains in self-imposed exile in India and is facing charges of crimes against humanity, with an active arrest warrant issued by a Dhaka court.