Highlights

  • Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquits former PM Khaleda Zia in corruption case.
  • Verdict clears Zia’s son Tarique Rahman and others.
  • Zia now eligible to run in upcoming 2026 elections after jail term cancellation.

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Bangladesh court clears Khaleda Zia, boosting 2026 election bid

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquits former PM Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, clearing the way for her to contest the 2026 elections. The verdict also clears her son Tarique Rahman and others convicted in the case.

Bangladesh court clears Khaleda Zia, boosting 2026 election bid

Bangladesh's Supreme Court acquitted former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on Wednesday in the final corruption case against her, paving the way for her potential return to politics. The ruling lifts a major legal hurdle for Zia, who is expected to contest the upcoming elections, scheduled for either December 2025 or the first half of 2026, according to an interim government announcement.

Zia, who has been battling health issues, had traveled to London earlier this month for medical treatment after being cleared in another corruption case. The cases, which were brought against her under the previous administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are seen by her supporters as politically motivated.

The case Zia was acquitted of stems from charges of embezzling approximately $250,000 from donations meant for an orphanage trust she established in 1991. In a 2018 ruling, the High Court sentenced her to 10 years in prison for the alleged embezzlement. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court overturned this sentence, clearing Zia and her son, Tarique Rahman, who had also been sentenced in connection with the case.

Rahman, the heir apparent of Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), along with four others, was also acquitted in the ruling. Zia's lawyers confirmed that the verdict allows her to run in the next election, as anyone imprisoned for more than two years is prohibited from holding office for the following five years.

Zia had faced a total of 17 years in prison across two cases, but the other charges against her were dropped following Hasina’s ouster last August during a mass uprising that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Despite the legal battles, Zia's BNP maintains that the corruption charges were politically motivated. The political rivalry between Zia and Hasina has shaped Bangladesh's politics for decades, and with Hasina ousted, Zia now sees an opportunity to regain her influence.

Zia, widow of former President Ziaur Rahman, remains a key figure in Bangladesh’s dynastic political system, with her son Tarique Rahman poised to lead the party in the future. Meanwhile, Hasina, now in exile in India, faces charges of mass killings and is wanted for arrest by a special tribunal under the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.

This latest verdict brings a dramatic turn in Bangladesh's political landscape, signaling a potential shift in the power dynamic between the two longtime rivals.

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