Drop Charges Against Bangladesh Ex-PM Khaleda Zia: Party Leader Living In India

Sheikh Hasina ousted, all eyes in Bangladesh are on the main opposition party – the Bangladesh National party or BNP, whose top leader — former Prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia – has been released from house arrest.

Her son Tareue Rehman is returning to Bangladesh. Another top BNP leader who is expected to return is Salahuddin Ahmed, who has been living in India since 2015.

Ahmed has served a one-year jail term for illegally entering India, but even after being released has chosen to stay on.  

The leader, who has been camping out in Shillong, has claimed that Khaleda Zia will need advanced medical treatment.

“BNP wants all charges against her to be dropped. She would need advanced treatment and has to go abroad for it,” Salahuddin Ahmed said.Bangladesh President Khaleda Zia has already received her her renewed passport.

“People of Bangladesh strongly believe that Sheikh Hasina left after being forced. Others were not lucky enough to survive. Luckily I am still alive. I have been ready to return since the first day,” Salahuddin said.

Salahuddin, who landed in Shillong in 2015, faced trial for illegal entry. He was  acquitted in 2018 and has since been free to go.

The process, however, was delayed following an appeal by the authorities against his release. On February 28, a court in Shillong upheld the 2018 order of acquittal.

The BNP leader has claimed that Begum Khaleda Zia needs advanced medical treatment abroad thus BNP would demand all charges against her be dropped. The BNP will also call for a neutral general election.

“What happened to Hasina was her fate as she resorted to misrule for three consecutive terms with flawed elections and there was absence of rule of law. It was complete tyranny. The situation prevailing in Bangladesh is something like the mass revolution led by students,” Salahuddin said.