Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia Leaves For London For Medical Treatment

Zia was freed from jail a day after former PM Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime in August.

Khaleda Zia first became the Prime Minister in 1991 and served in office till 1996.

Source : X

Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia left for London to seek medical treatment, one of her advisers said on Tuesday.
The three-time former premier and head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has ailments including liver cirrhosis, cardiac disease and kidney problems, as per her physician.

Zahiruddin Swapan, an adviser to Zia, told news agency AP that Zia left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late Tuesday on an air ambulance. "Our senior leaders left the airport seeing her off," Swapan said.

Zia was freed from jail a day after former PM Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime on August 5 last year. Zia had been serving a 17-year sentence in various corruption cases since 2018. Her supporters say the charges against her were politically motivated.

Khaleda Zia first became the Prime Minister in 1991 and served in office till 1996. Her second stint as the PM of Bangladesh came in 2001 and lasted till 2006.

Sheikh Hasina's Passport Revoked By Bangladesh

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's interim government has revoked the passport of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina and 96 others over their alleged involvement in enforced disappearances and the July killings. Hasina has been living in India since August 5 last year.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for "crimes against humanity and genocide".

Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, while addressing a press briefing, said, "The Passports Department cancelled passports of 22 people involved in enforced disappearances, while passports of 75 people, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings.” 

He did not reveal the names of the remaining individuals whose passports were cancelled.