Bangladesh’s former prime minister Khaleda Zia is fighting for her life in a Dhaka hospital, with party officials saying her condition has become “very critical.” The 80-year-old BNP chairperson was admitted on November 23 after a severe chest infection that affected both her heart and lungs, according to her doctors and senior leaders.
Her health crisis comes at a pivotal moment for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which has seen a resurgence since Sheikh Hasina was forced out in last year’s student-led uprising.
Tarique Rahman, Khaleda’s son and the acting head of the BNP, added a new layer of uncertainty over the weekend. Living in London since 2008, he posted on Facebook that returning to Bangladesh was “not entirely” in his hands—sparking fresh speculation about political or legal factors still in play.
The interim government quickly pushed back on that idea. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the transitional administration, said there were “no restrictions or objections” to Rahman’s return. His press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, even stressed that nothing stands in his way.
Touhid Hossain, the acting foreign minister, went further on Sunday, saying the government would issue a travel pass within a day if Rahman decided to come home.
Legally, the road seems clear. Rahman has been acquitted of all charges brought against him during Hasina’s rule, removing the hurdles that once complicated his return.
With the BNP gaining momentum after years on the sidelines—and now considered a frontrunner in Bangladesh’s political reset—both Khaleda’s condition and Rahman’s next move are being watched closely across the country.
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