Here’s a rephrased version:
“Just hours after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled the country, Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the release of jailed opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
The decision to release Khaleda Zia was made during discussions with members of the opposition. President Shahabuddin, after reaching a consensus, directed that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson be freed without delay.
The meeting included the army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman, as well as the heads of the navy and air force, and senior leaders from opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Khaleda Zia, aged 78, is a prominent opponent of Sheikh Hasina and leads the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. She became Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister in 1991, starting her political career following the assassination of her husband, Ziaur Rahman, who served as the President of Bangladesh from 1977 to 1981 and founded the BNP in 1978.
In recent years, Zia has faced numerous health challenges, frequently traveling abroad for treatment. She was imprisoned in 2018 following a corruption conviction, which she claimed was politically motivated. She served as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.
After her government’s term ended in 2006, the January 2007 elections were postponed due to political unrest and infighting, leading to a military takeover of the caretaker government. During this period, the caretaker government charged Zia and her two sons with corruption. Under her leadership from 2001 to 2005, Bangladesh was ranked as the most corrupt country globally according to the Corruption Perceptions Index.
On May 30, 1981, her husband, then-President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated. Khaleda Zia entered politics on January 2, 1982, by joining the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the party her late husband had founded.
Earlier, Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule came to an end as she fled the country amidst weeks of violent protests, with the military announcing plans to establish an interim government.
Sheikh Hasina arrived at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, aboard a C-130 transport aircraft. Known for her close ties with India since her first election in 1996, she has consistently defended Bangladesh’s strong relationship with Delhi. During a visit to India in 2022, she reminded the people of Bangladesh of India’s support during the 1971 independence war, with backing from its government, people, and armed forces.”
