Khaleda Zia Calls for Reforms to Expedite Elections in Bangladesh
Khaleda Zia, leader of Bangladesh’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has urged interim authorities to implement essential reforms to facilitate timely elections following last year’s political upheaval.
“The people expect a widely accepted election with minimal yet swift reforms to restore democracy,” Zia stated in a televised address.
Zia, 79, who previously served twice as Bangladesh’s prime minister, was imprisoned for corruption in 2018 under the government of her longtime political rival, Sheikh Hasina. She was later released after Hasina’s administration was overthrown in August, leading to Hasina’s exile in India.
In January, Zia traveled to Britain for medical treatment, where she made her first public address in six years via an online broadcast to BNP supporters.
“Unite the party and prepare to lead both the movement and the nation,” she urged BNP members. “The country is at a crucial crossroads. The authoritarian regime was forced out due to student-led protests and public resistance.”
Hasina’s administration faced widespread criticism for allegedly manipulating the judiciary, civil service, and electoral processes to maintain power.
Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Prize-winning economist leading the interim government, has initiated commissions to oversee key reforms. While he has stated that the timing of elections will depend on political consensus, he anticipates they could take place in late 2025 or early 2026.
Zia called on citizens to remain united against growing instability.
“Supporters of the former regime are conspiring to undermine the achievements of the mass movement,” she warned. “We must counter these threats through unity and resilience.”
Meanwhile, Hasina continues to live in self-imposed exile in India, refusing to return to Bangladesh despite an arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity. The BNP is widely expected to perform strongly in the upcoming elections.
