Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s ex-PM, who is currently jailed, had her candidature rejected by the country’s Election Commission
The former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is serving a 5-year jail term since February 2018, after a court convicted her for embezzlement of foreign donations meant for an orphanage named after her husband and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) founder and slain president Ziaur Rahman, while holding the post of the prime minister during 2001-06.
Further quashing the political ambitions of the jailed ex-Prime Minister is the Election Commission, which has declared that Zia is unfit to contest elections. Despite being jailed, the 73-year old had filed nomination papers from three constituencies – two from northwestern Bogra and one from southeastern Feni – for the December 30 polls, but the returning officers of the two districts scrapped her nominations as she was convicted by the court, an EC spokesperson said.
Zia was made vice-chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the largest political opposition of the country, in March 1983 after the assassination of her husband. She became chairperson of the party on May 10, 1984, a post she is still holding.
The BNP, which boycotted the 2014 elections under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League (AL) government over fears that it would be rigged, has set up an alliance with the newly formed National Unity Front (NUF) led by eminent jurist Kamal Hossain.
