Khaleda Zia returns home after medical treatment in London

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to the country from London on Tuesday after four months of medical treatment, adding to pressure for its interim leaders to hold elections.

Bangladesh has been led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a students’-led mass uprising in August last year.

Large number of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party thronged at Dhaka airport to accord welcome to their party leader.

Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s archrival, and her BNP have been pushing Yunus’ government to hold a national election in December to return the country to democratic rule.

Under Hasina, many opposition political parties including Zia’s BNP had either boycotted the polls or accused the authorities of rigging them.

Many welcomed Hasina’s overthrow as a chance to return to democratic elections, but suspicion and uncertainty have surfaced in recent months about the new government’s commitment to hold elections soon.

It has been said that the next election will be held in either December or by June next year, depending on the extent of reforms in various sectors in the country.