Khaleda Zia Returns Home After Four-Month Treatment, Sparks Election Pressure

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has returned to Dhaka after nearly four months of medical treatment in London, arriving on a Qatari royal air ambulance alongside her daughters-in-law and personal physician. Large crowds of supporters and senior leaders from her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) gathered at the airport and along the route to her residence to welcome her, reflecting her continued symbolic importance to the party. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other leaders expressed hope that Zia's return would help advance democracy and build a non-discriminatory Bangladesh. Zia, who has served as prime minister three times, was previously imprisoned on corruption charges but was released in 2020 on health grounds under a government order. Her return comes amid political uncertainty and growing demands for free elections, as the BNP seeks to leverage her presence to push for democratic reforms. Zia's rival, Sheikh Hasina, remains a key figure in Bangladeshi politics, having alternately ruled the country with Zia since the early 1990s.