Dhaka:
In a dramatic political comeback, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia will contest the upcoming national elections, expected to be held in February 2025, her party announced on Monday.
The 80-year-old leader, who has long dominated Bangladesh’s political scene, will represent the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — a major political force that now stands as the frontrunner in the upcoming polls.
Her participation was confirmed by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior BNP leader, who said Zia would contest from three constituencies, signaling her intent to return to power after years of political turbulence and imprisonment.
From Prison to Politics: Zia’s Tumultuous Journey
Once Bangladesh’s most powerful woman, Khaleda Zia has spent much of the last decade battling both ill health and political persecution.
She was jailed in 2018 on corruption charges under the government of her arch-rival, Sheikh Hasina, and was barred from seeking medical treatment abroad.
Her fortunes changed last year when Hasina was overthrown in a mass uprising in August 2024, and Zia was subsequently released from prison.
Party insiders say her return to active politics reflects a resurgence of the BNP’s influence following Hasina’s fall.
Tarique Rahman to Join Electoral Battle
Zia’s 59-year-old son, Tarique Rahman, will also contest the elections, according to Alamgir.
Rahman, often referred to as Tarique Zia in Bangladesh, has been living in London since 2008, claiming political persecution forced him into exile.
Following Hasina’s removal from power, Rahman was acquitted of the most serious charge against him — a life sentence in absentia related to the 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally, which he consistently denied.
BNP officials believe that the mother-son duo could now spearhead a political revival for the party, which has been sidelined for much of the past decade.
A Rivalry That Shaped Bangladesh: The Battle of the Begums
For nearly four decades, Bangladesh’s political narrative has been defined by the fierce rivalry between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, often referred to as the “Battle of the Begums.”
Both women have served multiple terms as prime minister, alternately ousting and succeeding each other through elections, protests, and coups.
Their enmity is deeply rooted in Bangladesh’s tragic political history. In 1975, Hasina’s father — Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s founding leader — was assassinated along with most of his family in a military coup.
Just three months later, Khaleda’s husband, Ziaur Rahman, then the deputy army chief, took control of the country and later became president in 1977. He was himself assassinated in 1981, leaving Khaleda, then a 35-year-old mother of two, to inherit the BNP’s leadership.
Initially dismissed as inexperienced, Khaleda quickly rose as a formidable leader, playing a key role in ousting military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad in 1990 — a movement she once led in alliance with Hasina.
From Allies to Adversaries
The alliance was short-lived.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Zia and Hasina alternated in power, turning Bangladesh’s political arena into a two-woman duel marked by allegations, strikes, and deep partisan divides.
Their political feud — rooted in personal tragedy and ideological opposition — has defined Bangladesh’s governance for over 30 years.
Now, with Hasina out of power and Zia back in contention, Bangladesh may once again see the resurgence of familiar political fault lines.
Key Details: Bangladesh Election 2025
- Election Timeline: Expected in February 2025
- Main Candidate: Khaleda Zia (BNP), former three-time PM
- Rival Bloc: Supporters of the ousted Sheikh Hasina (Awami League)
- BNP Deputy Leader: Tarique Rahman, contesting from London exile
- Political Backdrop: Post-uprising transition following Hasina’s 2024 ouster
- Historical Rivalry: “Battle of the Begums” — Zia vs. Hasina