Dhaka/New Delhi: On Monday, August 5, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned following two months of intense anti-reservation student protests. Hasina subsequently left the country and sought refuge in India. Concurrently, the President of Bangladesh ordered the release of jailed former PM and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, who had been serving a 17-year sentence for a 2018 corruption case.
Speaking to ABP News, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) spokesperson A.K.M. Wahiduzzaman confirmed the release of BNP chief Khaleda Zia. He stated that Zia has received her passport and will travel abroad for medical treatment. Wahiduzzaman also announced that Zia’s son and BNP’s acting president, Tarique Rahman, would soon return to Bangladesh.
“We are demanding that the interim government be apolitical,” Wahiduzzaman told ABP News. “They should hand over power to the newly elected government at the earliest. Elections should be held within the next three months, and power should be transferred to the newly elected government.” He described the current situation in Bangladesh as “very terrible,” noting the difficulty in identifying the perpetrators of violence.
Wahiduzzaman further mentioned that offices of Hasina’s party, the Awami League, are being attacked. “We do not want any political party to face such a situation,” he said, expressing his concern over the widespread anger and destruction. “People are demolishing the offices of the ruling party and setting them on fire, including those associated with the Awami League.”
In light of the ongoing violence, BNP’s acting president Tarique Rahman instructed all party leaders and workers on Monday to protect temples across the country. Wahiduzzaman emphasized that BNP leaders are working to safeguard both temples and the homes of minority communities, underscoring the responsibility of civil society and political parties to provide security.
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