Khaleda in jail after maiden conviction

Though she had been confined to her residence several times and sent to jail once during the anti-Ershad movement and another time by the army-backed interim government after the 1/11 changeover for political reasons, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was sent to jail for the first time on Thursday as a convict, reports UNB.

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Khaleda, a 73-year-old former prime minister, was taken to the old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city after a special court sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

After Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad, Khaleda is the second head of the government who got convicted in a graft case.

Born in 1945, Khaleda got married Ziaur Rahman in 1960 when he was an army captain. They got two sons -- Tarique Rahman, now in London, and Arafat Rahman Koko who died in 2015.

After the assassination of her husband president Ziaur Rahman in 1981 in a military coup, a then-housewife Khaleda Zia stepped into politics in March 1983 and became BNP senior vice chairman following the demand of party leaders and activists.

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Later, she was elected party chairperson at a party council in 1984. Since then, she has been serving as the party chairperson.

Khaleda had played a significant role in the street campaigns of 90’s against autocratic ruler HM Ershad, now the key ally of ruling Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government.

She was first arrested on 28 November 1983, followed by 3 May 1984 and 11 November 1987 during the anti-Ershad movement and kept confined to her then cantonment residence.

The BNP chief was last arrested on 3 September 2007 during the military-controlled so-called emergency government and taken to a sub-jail in the parliament complex.

She was released after suffering in jail for one year and seven days on 11 September 2008 following the bail from the apex court.

The Zia Orphanage Trust graft case was filed after her arrest in 2008.

Thousands of BNP activists throng the streets to escort the former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, on her way to a Dhaka court to hear the verdict on Thursday. Photo: CollectedKhaleda became the country's first female prime minister following the victory of BNP in the 1991 general election. She also served as prime minister for a short-lived government in 1996. In the next round of the general election in 1996, her arch rival Awami League came to power.

Khaleda again became prime minister when her party returned to power in 2001.

After her government's term ended in 2006, the scheduled January 2007 elections were delayed due to political violence and infighting, resulting in a bloodless military takeover.

Read more: Continue movement until people’s rule established: Khaleda

During its interim rule, the quasi-military regime charged Zia and her two sons --Tarique and Koko -- with corruption.

Khaleda never got defeated in any election as a candidate. She also got elected from five seats thrice in the general elections.

She had to leave her cantonment residence, given by then government after the murder of her husband Zia, in 2010 just two years after her arch enemy Sheikh Hasina came to power through a military controlled election in 2008.

After a number of movements during a period of severe political unrest between 2012 and 2014 to prevent ruling Awami League from holding the 10th general election in January 2014 without a neutral caretaker government, the Khaleda-led BNP and its alliances boycotted the election.

Khaleda was reportedly confided to her Gulshan residence for a few days before the election.

The BNP chief was again confined to her Gulshan office on 3 January 2015 a day before her party-led 20-party's much-hyped 5-January rally in the city to mark what she said 'Democracy Killing Day' to protest against the controversial 10th parliamentary polls.

Her son Koko died of heart attack in Malaysia on 24 January 2015 when she was confined to her office. Her elder son Tarique, also the party second in command, has been staying in the UK since September, 2008.

Ninety-two days after her stay in her Gulshan office, Khaleda returned to her Gulshan residence on 5 April 2015. Her party carried out a violent street campaign over three months.

Party sources said she is still facing around 36 cases filed with different courts and police stations across the country for corruption and violence.