In politics, no one is anyone’s own. Conspiracy, bloodshed, and revenge are common here. Since Bangladesh became independent, two women ruled the country alternately for a long time, maintaining a fierce rivalry. Khaleda Zia, 78, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018 under Hasina’s rule. Khaleda Zia is the archrival of Hasina. The animosity between Zia and Hasina is referred to in Bangladesh as the “Battle of Begums.” Begum means a powerful woman. Their grudge has its background in the murder of Hasina’s father—the country’s founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman—along with her mother, three brothers, and several other relatives in a 1975 military rebellion.
Khaleda Zia has three different dates of birth: one on her birth certificate, one on her marriage certificate, and one on her passport. She decided to celebrate her birthday on August 15. Born in 1945 in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, she is the chief of the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Her political career began after the assassination of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, who was President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981 and formed the BNP in 1978. Khaleda suspects Sheikh Hasina’s involvement in her husband’s killing, while Hasina believes there was no mastermind behind Khaleda’s husband’s assassination.
Ziaur Rahman was a Bangladeshi military officer and politician who served as President of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination. He was the founder of the BNP and served as its chairman until his death. He previously served as the third chief of army staff from 1975 to 1978, with a minor break. In 1991, Khaleda Zia became the first woman Prime Minister of Bangladesh, making her the second female prime minister in the Muslim world after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto. She served as prime minister again from 2001 to 2006. The 2007 elections were postponed due to political violence and bickering, leading to a military takeover of the caretaker government. During this interim rule, Zia and her two sons faced corruption charges.
Ziaur Rahman’s death created divided opinions on his legacy in Bangladeshi politics. Awami League supporters malign him for alleged connections to Mujib’s assassination and debatable actions during his presidency.
Khaleda lost to Hasina in the 1996 elections but returned to power five years later. This rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda never settled. Khaleda’s government and its Islamic allies were widely blamed for a 2004 rally where Hasina was addressing with grenades. Hasina survived, but over 20 people were killed and more than 500 were injured. Years later, Khaleda’s eldest son was tried in absentia and sentenced to life for the attack. This incident made the two Begums arch-rivals forever.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the tenth and twelfth prime minister of Bangladesh from June 1996 to July 2001 and again from January 2009 to August 2024. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh. Having served for a combined total of over 20 years, she is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Bangladesh. Her presidency ended in self-imposed exile following a series of violent protests in 2024.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the immediate release of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who has been imprisoned since 2018. Sheikh Hasina has survived a total of 19 assassination attempts during her political career. She suffers from a hearing impairment as a result of injuries sustained during the 2004 grenade attack. She and her children were given lifelong protection by the government of Bangladesh through the Special Security Force. Since Hasina’s rise to power in 2009, Khaleda has faced numerous criminal charges and imprisonment. She has retreated from public life and left her exiled eldest son to lead her political movement as an acting leader. Over the years, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia have had a long-standing feud in which both accused each other of various charges.
Now that the BNP is calling the shots, it has been claimed that all the cases against Zia were false and made up to keep her away from active politics. Meanwhile, Hasina’s party has denied all the claims.
Sheikh Hasina, a long-standing leader, suddenly left Bangladesh during violent protests. General Waker-Uz-Zaman informed Hasina’s office that his soldiers could not enforce the lockdown she had ordered. An Indian official briefed on the situation suggested that she leave the country for her own safety. Gradually, Hasina lost the support of the army. Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position as Prime Minister and fled the country, marking the end of her 15-year rule.
Recent Developments: The Exile of Hasina and Release of Khaleda
Meanwhile, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the release of jailed opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The decision to release Khaleda Zia was made during a meeting with opposition party members. Once Hasina left the country, Muhammad Yunus called for calm and urged people to use the opportunity to build a better nation. The caged Begum is free now, and the Begum who aggressively ruled Bangladesh had to quit the nation. Bangladesh’s Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will lead an interim government after mass protests forced longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina to flee. The appointment came quickly after student leaders called on the 84-year-old Yunus to lead. The decision was made in a meeting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the heads of the army, navy, and air force, and student leaders.
